LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

STEWART  S.  HOWE 

JOURNALISM  CLASS  OF  1928 

STEWART  S.  HOWE  FOUNDATION 

91707 

F41s 

cop.2 


I.H.S 


THE 


STATES  AND  TERRITORIES 


THE   GREAT  WEST; 


INCLUDING 


OHIO,  INDIANA,  ILLINOIS,  MISSOURI,  MICHIGAN,  WISCONSIN,  IOWA, 
MINESOTA,  KANSAS,  AND  NEBRASKA; 


GEOGRAPHY,     HISTORY,    ADVANTAGES,     RESOURCES,    AND 
PROSPECTS  ;  COMPRISING  THEIR  LOCAL  HIS- 
TORY, INSTITUTIONS,  AND  LAWS. 

GIVING  A 

TABLE  OF  DISTANCES, 

AND  THE 

MOST  DIRECT  ROUTES  AND  MODES  OF  CONVEYANCE;   ALSO,  POINTING   OUT  THE  BEST 

DISTRICTS  FOB  AGRICULTURAL,  COMMERCIAL,   LUMBERING, 

AND  MINING  OPERATIONS. 

WITH  A  MAP  AND  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BY  JACOB  FERRIS. 


NEW  YORK  AND  AUBURN: 

MILLER,  ORTON,  AND  MULLIGAN. 

BUFFALO  :  E.  F.  BEADLE. 

1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856, 

BY  E.  F.  BEADLE, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Northern  District 
of  New  York. 


C.  E.  FELTON, 
•TEREOT  Yl'ER, .BUFFALO. 


9/9.  9 


PUBLISHER'S  ADVERTISEMENT. 


No  parallel  can  be  found  in  the  world's  history  to 
the  progress  and  the  prospects  of  the  GREAT  WEST. 
Within  the  memory  of  living  men,  it  was,  for  the 
most,  an  unbroken  wild  —  the  abode  only  of  wild 
beasts,  or  of  wilder  men ;  and  many  of  its  most 
wealthy,  prosperous,  and  inviting  sections,  scarcely 
twenty  years  since  were  untrodden  by  civilized  feet. 
Now,  in  population,  wealth,  material  progress,  in  the 
means  of  intercommunication,  in  liberal  and  perma- 
nent provision  for  the  general  and  thorough  educa- 
tion of  its  rising  millions,  she  is  without  a  rival. 
Her  advancement,  however,  has  but  just  begun. 
Her  real  greatness  is  yet  in  the  future. 

The  West  is  the  common  center — the  grand  rally- 
ing ground  of  the  world's  emigrants — of  its  popula- 
tion, its  labor,  and  its  capital. 

In  view  of  what  the  West  now  is,  and  what  each 


iv  PUBLISHERS'  ADVERTISEMENT. 

year  is  demonstrating  she  must  become,  who  can  esti- 
mate her  future  population,  resources,  and  greatness  ? 

The  history  of  a  region  so  vast,  so  rich,  and  so  rap- 
idly advancing,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  that 
can  anywhere  be  found.  In  the  work  here  offered 
to  the  public,  the  effort  has  been  to  give  the  rise, 
progress,  and  present  condition  of  the  States  and 
Territories  of  the  Great  West. 

This  book  also  supplies  a  great  deficiency  in  our 
literature.  Most  other  books  upon  the  West  are  con- 
fined to  some  limited  range  of  country,  and  are  filled 
either  with  adventures  across  the  plains  and  over  the 
mountains,  or  with  details  of  mere  local  interest. 
But  this  takes  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  WHOLE 
WEST.  It  describes  the  earlier  emigrations  to  the 
West,  and  presents  a  vivid  picture  of  the  modes  of 
traveling,  and  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  the 
way;  it  takes  a  comprehensive  survey  of  the  vast 
water  communications  which  connect  the  West  with 
all  other  portions  of  the  continent ;  it  contains  a  reli- 
able account  of  the  first  explorations  of  the  Missis- 
sippi valley,  compiled  from  the  original  manuscripts  of 
the  explorers  themselves,  affording  information  which 
has  never  before  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  gen- 


PUBLISHERS'  ADVERTISEMENT.  7 

eral  reader;  it  "brings  the  general  history  of  the 
West  down  to  the  present  time ;  it  gives  a  sketch  of 
the  local  history  of  the  Western  States  and  Territo- 
ries, including  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  together  with, 
such  portions  of  their  Constitutions  and  Laws  as 
possess  a  general  interest;  it  traces  out  the  great 
thoroughfares  by  which  the  best  regions  for  agricul- 
ture, commerce  and  mining  may  be  reached,  together 
with  tables  of  distances ;  and  gives  an  accurate  ac- 
count of  the  mines  of  Lake  Superior.  On  the  whole, 
it  is  a  book  to  be  read — interesting  to  the  general 
reader,  and  valuable  to  the  emigrant  and  traveler. 
It  is  written  in  a  style  at  once  sprightly  and  elegant ; 
its  details  and  its  facts  are  often  relieved  by  roman- 
tic incidents,  and  exciting  and  interesting  adventures 
of  Western  Pioneer  life. 

The  author  possesses  a  rare  experience  of  the 
West,  having  visited  almost  every  part  of  it  this  side 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of 
the  country,  the  progress  of  settlements,  and  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  people. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early  emigration  to  the  West  —  Motives  of  the  emigrants  —  Their  in- 
dependence and  perils  —  The  "  western  fever  "  —  The  substantial 
settler  —  Conveniences  for  traveling  fifty  years  ago — The  open- 
hearted  frontiersman  —  The  solitudes  of  the  forest  —  Modes  of 
conveyance  —  The  old-fashioned  Jersey-wagon  —  The  season  for 
emigration  —  The  preparation  —  The  good-by  start  —  Progress  — 
The  wayside  meal — Incidents  by  the  way — The  buried  treasure.  1 8 

CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    WEST. 

Territory  included  in  the  Great  West  —  Water-shed,  or  divide  —  The 
rivers  and  their  tributaries  —  The  fur  hunter's  canoe-passage  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  —  River  system  —  Progress  of  the  French  mission- 
aries, as  early  as  1632  —  Nicolet  —  His  influence  over  the  Indians  — 
The  journey  of  his  life  —  His  reception  at  Green  Bay  —  Council 
with  the  chiefs  —  Iroquois  war — Its  effects  on  the  missions — The 
great  river  west  of  the  lakes  —  Claude  Allooez,  the  first  explorer  of 
Lake  Michigan  —  Frozen  in  on  Lake  Michigan  —  Sailing  on  the  ice 
in  a  canoe  —  Pitch  Rock  — Visit  to  the  villages  of  the  Illinois  — 
M.  Joliet  and  James  Marquette explorers  of  the  Mississippi  —  Their 
birth,  education,  and  character  —  Marquette  among  the  missions  — 
Visited  by  the  Illinois  Indians —  Contemplates  exploring  the  Missis- 
sippi alone  —  Is  stationed  at  Michilimackinac  —  Arrival  of  Joliet 
with  orders  to  explore  the  Mississippi  —  Prayers  and  thanksgiving 
for  the  favors  conferred  on  them  —  Preparation  and  outfit — The 
Canadian  canoe, ...28 

0 

CHAPTER  III. 

EXPLORATION    OF    THE    MISSISSIPPI. 

Departure  from  Michilimackinac  —  Wild  oats  —  The  tide  at  Green 
Bay  —  Ascending  the  Fox  River — Indian  village  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Winnebago  —  Wisconsin  River  —  Its  peculiarities  —  Joy  at 
reaching  the  Mississippi  —  Strange  fish  —  The  abundance  of 
game  —  Foot-prints  on  the  shore  —  Discover  an  Indian  village  — 
Council  —  Feast  of  corn  meal,  fish,  and  boiled  dog  —  Presented 
with  a  calumet  —  A  strange  plant  —  Monsters  painted  on  a  rock  — 
Frightful  appearance  of  the  water,  at  the  junction  of  the  Mis- 
souri —  Clay  paint  —  Indian  method  of  dealing  with  mosquitoes-— 


CONTENTS. 

"Snags"  and  "Sawyers"  —  Arkansas  Indians  —  Return  up  the 
Mississippi  and  Illinois — Portage  to  Chicago — Arrival  at  Green 
Bay  —  James  Marquette  sets  out  on  a  return  to  Chicago,  to  instruct 
the  Illinois  Indians  — •  Is  detained  all  winter  at  the  portage  by  sick- 
ness—  Reaches  the  Illinois  country  in  April,  and  founds  a  mis- 
sion —  His  maladay  increasing,  he  sets  out  on  his  return  to  Michili- 
mackinac  —  Driven  by  westerly  winds  to  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Joseph's  —  Becomes  too  weak  to  proceed  —  Expires  on  a  bed  of 
boughs,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan 50 

CHAPTER  IV.- 

THE    GREAT    LAKES. 

Ottawa  and  French  rivers  —  Robert  Cavalier  de  La  Salle,  first  navigator 
upon  the  lakes  —  His  patent  for  the  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the 
West — "  The  Griffin,"  the  first  sail  vessel  built  on  the  Lakes  — 
Her  first  and  only  tiip  —  La  Salle's  misfortune  —  Descends  the  Mis- 
sissippi —  Loses  one  of  his  hunters  in  the  woods  —  Takes  formal 
possession  of  the  country  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi — Plate 
engraved,  and  deposited  in  the  earth  —  La  Salle  goes  to  France  — 
Returns  with  three  ships — The  store-ship  dashed  in  pieces  on  the 
coast  of  Texas  —  One  hundred  men  lost  by  sickness  —  La  Salic  and 
sixteen  men  set  out  overland  for  the  Illinois  —  La  Salle  murdered  by 
two  of  his  companions. 64 

CHAPTER  V. 

FRENCH    SETTLEMENTS. 

Destruction  of  Montreal  by  the  Iroquois  —  Iroquois  conquered  — 
Treaty  of  peace  —  French  emigration  —  P'ort  Chartres  —  Manufac- 
ture of  flour  in  the  Wabash  country  —  The  adaptation  of  the  Indian 
manners,  etc.,  by  the  French  —  Its  effects  —  Description  of  the 
French  settlements  —  Dress  of  the  settlers  —  Inroads  upon  the 
French  —  Attempts  of  the  Spaniards  to  dispossess  the  French  — 
Their  defeat,  and  overthrow  of  the  Santa  Ft;  expedition  —  Progress 
of  English  settlements  toward  the  West  —  An  English  trader 
among  the  French  —  His  fate  —  The  Ohio  Company's  grant  —  Gov. 
Dinwidtfie  dispatches  Geo.  Washington  with  a  message  to  the 
French — Beginning  of  the  French  war — The  West  open  to 
English  emigration  —  Taking  possession  of  the  military  posts  — 
Robert  Rogers  —  Rogers'  Rangers  —  Character  of  the  Rangers  — 
The  Rangers  at  Cleveland  —  Visit  from  Pontiac  —  The  forts 
delivered  to  the  English, 73 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Manner  of  trading  with  the  Indians  —  Early  routes  to  the  West  —  The 
Albany  route — The  Philadelphia  route  —  The  Indian  trader — His 
dress  —  Trading  stations  —  The  Indian's  notion  of  the  surveyor's 
compass  and  chain  —  The  Acadians — Destruction  of  their  prop* 


CONTENTS.  IX 

erty —  Transported  to  the  sea-coast — They  gather,  and  emigrate 
in  a  body  to  the  French  settlements  —  Received  with  great  hospi- 
tality—  The  Indian  character, 99 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PONTIAC'S  WAR. 

Pontiac  —  Indian  method  of  drilling  their  warriors — Pontiac  assem- 
bles a  council  —  Pontiac's  speech  —  His  dream  —  The  fort  at  De- 
troit—  Pontiac  inspects  the  fort  during  a  calumet  danco  —  Pontiac's 
conspiracy  on  the  fort  at  Detroit  defeated-- A  general  destruc- 
tion of  the  forts  and  settlements  by  the  Indians  —  Stratagems  of 
the  game  of  ball  between  the  Ojibways  aud  Sacs,  and  destruction  of 
Micliilimackinac  —  Fall  of  Venango — Condition  of  the  frontier  set- 
tlements —  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet  —  His  victory  near  Fort  Pitt  — 
A  council  with  the  chiefs  —  Their  apology  for  the  war  —  Bouquet's 
reply — Orders  the  Indians  to  bring  in  all  their  prisoners  before 
giving  them  the  hand  of  friendship  —  Meeting  of  long-lost  friends  — 
Conclusion  of  the  Indian  war — Assassination  of  Pontiac.  .  .  110 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CONQUEST  OF  THE  WEST  BY  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

English  and  French  settlements  contrasted  —  Want  of  elbow-room  — 
The  Yankee  pioneers — Their  character — Recklessness  —  Peculiar 
dress  —  Their  houses,  etc.  —  "  Hog  and  hominy  "  —  "  Old  Ned  "  — 
Tomahawk  rights  —  Colonel  Clark  at  the  West  —  His  character  — 
Descends  the  Ohio  —  Sinks  his  boats  —  Surprises  Kaskaskia  — 
Inhabitants  declare  for  the  United  States  —  British  Lieutenant- 
governor  Rocheblane, captured  —  Vincennes  taken  —  Militia  organ- 
ized—  Clark  among  the  Indians  —  "Courts  of  Illinois" — British 
Governor,  Hamilton, descends  the  Wabash  with  one  thousand  men  — 
Ruse  of  Captain  Helm — Clark's  winter  march  —  Hamilton  surren- 
ders —  Territory  held  by  Colonel  Clark  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 139 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    NORTHWESTERN    TERRITORY. 

Political  organization  —  Permanent  territorial  laws  —  First  and  second 
grade  —  First  church  and  schools  —  Cincinnati  and  North  Bend  — 
First  civil  court  in  the  territory  —  Lawyers  of  the  Northwestern  Ter- 
ritory—  Their  manner  of  traveling  from  one  court  to  another  —  The 
British  posts  in  the  territory  surrendered  to  the  United  States.  155 

CHAPTER  X. 

OHIO. 

Division  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  —  State  government  —  Early 
politics  of  the  state  — Rapid  growth   of  the   state  —  Its   climate 
1* 


X  CONTENTS. 

and  soil  —  Minerals  —  Salt  springs  —  Water  communications  — 
Crops  —  Domestic  commerce  —  Railroads  —  Institutions  of  learn 
ing — Churches  —  Taxable  property,  etc 165 

CHAPTER  XL 

MICHIGAN. 

French  agriculture  —  Population  —  Geography  —  Geology  —  The  lower 
peninsula  — White-oak  openings  —  Burr-oak  openings —  "Cat- 
holes" —  Pine  woods  of  the  north — Windfalls  —  Soil  and  fruits  of 
the  lower  peninsula  — Pasturage  —  Settlements  of  Michigau  —  Com- 
mercial advantages  —  Detroit  and  other  ports — Site  for  a  great 
central  city  —  The  rivers  —  The  lakes  around  Michigan  —  Improved 
lands  —  Annual  products  —  Schools,  churches,  and  other  institu- 
tions—  Attractions  to  the  settler  —  Exemption  laws.  .  .  .  173 

CHAPTER  XII. 

INDIANA. 

Yankee  emigrants  —  Emigration  checked  by  the  war  of  1812  — 
Admission  as  a  state —  Rapid  settlement  of  the  state  —  Where  the 
settlers  came  from  —  Soil  of  the  state  —  The  Ohio  and  Whitewater 
valleys  —  The  White  River  Valley  —  The  Wabash  Valley  —  River 
navigation  —  Canals  —  Railroads  —  Agricultural  products  —  Chaii- 
table  institutions,  churches,  colleges,  and  schools 191 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

ILLINOIS. 

Extinguishment  of  the  Indian  titles — Admission  as  a  state  —  Great 
earthquake  of  1811  —  Effect  on  the  Mississippi  —  Effect  on  the  In- 
dians —  First  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  —  Keel-boat  naviga- 
tion —  Keel-boatmen  —  Nature  of  the  population  —  Length  and 
breadth  of  the  state —  Number  of  counties —  Lands  improved  and 
unimproved  — Number  of  farms — Value  of  farming  implements  — 
Annual  products  —  The  soil  —  The  "American  Bottom" — Prairie 
lands  —  Grand  Prairie —  Coal  regions — Yankee  fences  in  Illinois  — 
Mode  of  forming  settlements  on  the  prairie  —  Plowing  the  prai- 
rie—  The  timber  region  —  Minerals — Lead  region  —  Chicago  — 
Rivers,  canals,  and  railroads — Varieties  of  climate — The  winter  of 
1855-56  —  Seasons  of  the  greatest  cold — Schools,  colleges,  and 
libraries  —  Exemption  laws 199 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

WISCONSIN. 

Organized  as  a  territory  —  First  settlements  —  Rapid  emigration  — 
Source  of  emigration  —  Admission  as  a  state  —  Number  of  coun- 
ties, dwellings,  and  families — Nature  of  the  population  —  State 
laws,  with  regard  to  voters  —  Courts  —  Interesting  provisions  of 


CONTENTS.  XI 

the  constitution  —  Length,  breadth,  and  general  surface  of  the 
state  —  Southern  Wisconsin  —  Superior  natural  advantages  —  Prai- 
ries—  Oak  openings  —  Abundant  pasturages —  Inducements  to  set- 
tlers —  Southern  Wisconsin  compared  with  other  states  —  Increase 
of  agricultural  wealth  —  Lead  mines  —  Iron  region  —  Lime- 
stone —  White  marble  —  Northern  Wisconsin  —  Extensive  pine 
regions  —  Water-power  —  The  Wisconsin  pine  —  Annual  amount 
eawed  —  Climate  of  Wisconsin  —  Health  —  Opinion  of  physi- 
cians —  Commerce  —  Harbors  —  Milwa'ukie  brick  —  Railroads  — 
Educational  institutions  and  laws  —  Exemption  laws,  .  .  .  217 

CHAPTER  XV. 

IOWA. 

The  Black  Hawk  Purchase  —  First  settlements  —  Second  Indian  pur- 
chase —  Reports  of  the  surveyors  —  Erected  into  a  territory  — 
Garden  of  the  West  —  Constitution  formed  —  Provisions  of  the 
constitution — Refuses  the  terms  of  admission  as  a  state  —  A  new 
constitution  —  Admission  as  a  state  —  Length  and  breadth  of  the 
state  —  Population  —  Number  of  dwellings  and  families  —  Number 
of  counties —  Amount  of  unimproved  lands  —  Excess  of  male  pop- 
ulation —  Source  of  emigration  —  Most  populous  counties  —  Land 
speculations  —  Advantageous  geographical  position  —  General  ap- 
pearance of  the  state  —  Agricultural  condition  and  resources  — 
Coal-fields  —  Limestone  —  Cedar  Valley  —  Soil  —  Minerals  — Com- 
merce —  Shipping  ports  —  Capital  of  Iowa  —  Iowa  City  —  Rail- 
roads —  Advantage  to  settlers  —  Public  institutions,  .  .  .  235 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

MINESOTA    TERRITORY. 

Explorations  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  —  Location  of  the  territory  — 
"  The  New  England  of  the  West " —  Territorial  boundary  —  Laws  — 
Counties  —  Population  —  Nature  of  the  population  —  Crops  — Gen- 
eral surface  of  the  territory  —  Geology  —  Above  Crowing  River  — 
ChaJk  formation  —  James  River  —  Buffalo  pasture-ground  —  Big 
Sioux  River —  Red  pipestone  quarry — St.  Peter's  River  —  Bottom- 
lands —  Blue  Earth  River  —  St.  Peter's  Valley  —  The  paradise  of 
farmers  —  Lake  Pepin  —  Terror  of  the  lumbermen  of  the  north  — 
Timber  —  Wild  rice  —  Soil  and  its  products  —  The  Red  River  of 
the  North  —  Springs  and  lakes  - —  Minesota  the  Artesian  fountain 
of  the  continent  —  Underground  hydraulic  power  —  Boiling 
springs  —  Magnificent  forest  —  Destiny  of  Minesota  —  Indian  sum- 
mers —  Manner  of  perfecting  a  squatter's  title  —  St.  Paul  —  Table 
of  distances  from  Galena  to  St.  Paul  —  Rates  of  fare,  .  .  .  253 

,     CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  SUPERIOR  COUNTRY. 

Lake  Superior  —  American  coast  —  Anchorage  —  Harbors  —  Dan- 
ger of  navigating  the  lake  —  Curious  phenomena  of  the  lake  — 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

Transparency  of  its  waters— The  mirage  of  Lake  Superior  — 
Islands  —  Isle  Royal  —  Lakes  in  Isle  Royal  —  Perennial  ice  — • 
Effect  of  the  extreme  cold  on  the  growth  of  the  trees  —  Rock  Har- 
bor —  Streams  emptying  into  Lake  Superior  —  Appearance  of  the 
shore  —  Iron-works  of  Carp  River  —  Porcupine  Mountains —  Table 
of  distances  —  The  La  Grande  Sables  —  Pictured  Rocks  —  Onton- 
agon  River  —  Montreal  Kiver  — •  Sturgeon  River  —  The  Iron  re 
gion  —  The  different  beds,  etc. —  Geologists'  opinion  of  the  iroii 
region — Location  of  good  agricultural  lands — Advantages  of  a 
railroad  through  the  iron  regions  —  The  copper  region  of  the  Supe- 
rior country  —  Lake  Superior  reverenced  by  the  Indians  —  The  first 
Englishman  who  visited  the  copper  region  —  Extract  from  his  jour- 
nal —  First  mining  company  —  Mining  companies  of  Keweenaw  — 
Trap  rock  —  Silver  among  the  copper  —  Cliff  mine  —  Copper  Falla 
mine,  rich  in  silver  —  Largest  mass  of  copper  —  Table  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  foreign  mines  —  Eagle  Harbor  —  Game  and  speckled 
trout  —  Fisheries  of  Lake  Superior — Climate,  etc 273 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

KANSAS    AND    NEBRASKA. 

Boundary  of  Kansas  —  Best  lands  open  for  settlement  —  Valleys  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  of  the  Smoky  Hill  Fork  of 
the  Kansas  —  Pasturage  —  The  land  between  the  desert  hills  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains  —  The  Kansas  River — Valley  of  the  Grand 
River  —  Timber  —  Coal  —  Springs  —  Council  Grove  —  The  Grand 
Prairie  —  The  Upper  Arkansas  —  Pawnee  Rock  —  The  mirage  — 
Table  of  distances  from  Independence  City  to  Pawnee  Rock  —  The 
Santa  F6  trade  —  Southern  Kansas  ores  —  Settlements  of  Eastern 
Kansas  —  Kansas  laws  for  the  recognition  of  land  claims  —  In- 
dians of  Kansas  —  "First  right"  —  Table  of  distances  from  Fort 
Riley  to  Missouri  border — Military  roads— Climate  of  Kansas  — 
Nebraska. - 304 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

KANSAS. 
Its  history  and  politics 325 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Aid  societies  and  preemptions 339 

TABLE  OF  DISTANCES, 

Via  the  principal  thoroughfares,  to  the  Great  West     ....     34Y 

* 


STATES  AND  TERRITORIES 


OF 


THE    GREAT    WEST 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early  emigration  to  the  West  — Motives  of  the  emigrants— Their  in- 
dependence  and  perils  —  The  "  western  fever  "  —  The  substantial 
settler  —  Conveniences  for  traveling  fifty  years  ago  — The  open- 
hearted  frontiersman  —  The  solitudes  of  the  forest  —  Modes  of 
conveyance  —  The  old-fashioned  Jersey-wagon  —  The  season  for 
emigration  —  The  preparation — The  good-by  start  —  Progress  — 
The  wayside  meal — Incidents  by  the  way  —  The  buried  treasure. 

FOR  more  than  half  a  century  public  attention  has  been 
directed  toward  the  setting  sun.  At  the  beginning  of 
that  period,  the  West  was  regarded  with  mingled  emo- 
tions of  curiosity  and  dread.  The  contemplation  of  a 
magnificent,  boundless  wilderness,  was  well  calculated  to 
excite  the  most  sluggish  imagination.  But  to  the  daring 
and  resolute  pioneer,  the  mystery  that  hung  over  the  end- 
less woods  was  continually  a  temptation  to  explore  the  fur- 
thest regions  concealed  beneath  their  shade.  There  lay, 
undisturbed,  the  hunter's  paradise,  with  every  excitement 
necessary  to  savage  life,  from  contact  with  wild  beasts  to 
warfare  with  human  beings.  Other  motives,  however, 
equally  powerful,  influenced  men  of  widely  different  char- 
acters to  resort  to  the  western  country.  The  criminal, 


14  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

flying  from  justice,  made  his  escape  into  the  woods. 
Those  who  disdained  conformity  to  the  usages  of  civil 
life,  who  abhorred  the  restraints  of  fashion,  who  aspired 
to  entire  independence  of  all  control,  sought,  instinctively, 
beyond  the  borders  of  civilization,  for  the  wild  freedom 
of  nature.  Also,  the  victims  of  misfortune  looked  to  the 
West,  as  a  proper  field  for  renewing  the  struggle  of  life. 
It  opened  before  them  like  another  creation — rugged, 
unorganized ;  but  this  was  charming  to  them.  The  dis- 
tribution of  property  would  have  to  be  begun  over  again, 
in  their  time.  There  could  be  no  aristocracy  of  wealth 
or  refinement  in  the  woods.  Abject  poverty  and  heartless 
affluence  could  not  meet  together  there  for  many  years. 
The  poor  man,  whose  limited  means  were  insufficient  for 
the  wants  of  a  growing  family,  removed  to  the  "West; 
contented  to  endure  its  privations,  and  submit  to  its 
hardships ;  cheered  by  the  certainty  of  securing  a  compe- 
tence to  his  children.  But  a  small  capital  might  there  be 
made  speedily  to  accumulate  into  a  fortune,  without  hav- 
ing to  wait  upon  the  slow  processes  of  industry.  The 
speculator,  eager  to  become  rich,  willing  to  place  every- 
thing at  hazard,  to  whom  the  opportunities,  in  populous 
countries,  for  acquiring  property,  were  unsatisfactory,  or 
too  few,  hastened  impatiently  into  the  wilderness  in  search 
of  water-power,  and  sites  for  future  cities,  delighting  him- 
self in  the  solitudes,  with  the  prospect  of  public  streets, 
whose  lines  were  blazed  trees. 

And,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  many  of  the 
heroes  of  that  War,  having  become  impoverished,  sought 
in  the  western  plantations  a  restoration  of  their  fortunes; 
carrying  with  them  into  the  woods  the  patient  endurance 
and  discipline  acquired  in  the  army,  and  manifesting  a 
most  courageous  diligence  in  subduing  alike  the  wilder 
ness  and  its  savage  inhabitants.  Rocky  New  England, 


EARLY   EMIGRATION.  15 

also,  sent  forth  its  hardy  sons,  inured  to  toil,  laborious, 
calculating,  frugal,  and  resolute,  to  plant  in  the  new 
country  the  system  of  schools  and  churches  that  had  been 
the  blessing  of  their  earlier  days,  and  the  pride  of  their 
fathers;  rejoicing,  moreover,  to  exchange  the  stubborn 
hill-sides, where  they  had  been  born,  for  the  productive 
plains  and  fertile  valleys  of  the  West. 

To  the  young  man,  energetic,  hopeful,  ambitious,  the 
new  country  was  a  theater  for  noble  aspirations.  He 
could  grow  with  its  growth.  Nothing  seemed  to  be  im- 
possible to  him  there.  He  could  mingle  with  the  brave, 
and  participate  in  the  glory  of  their  achievements.  He 
could  associate  with  the  wise,  and  share  their  renown. 

But  another  interesting  class  of  men  took  part  in  the 
formation  of  the  early  settlements.  The  European  emi- 
grant might  well  avail  himself  of  the  opportunities  pre- 
sented to  him  by  a  new  territory.  He  had  heard  the  story 
of  its  fabulous  advantages.  Adventurous  hunters,  and 
soldiers  returned  from  the  Indian  wars,  had  spoken  of  the 
marvels  which  their  own  eyes  had  seen.  The  men  of  the 
woods,  seated  at  the  hospitable  firesides  of  the  older  states, 
and  partaking  of  the  good  cheer  of  the  long  winter  even- 
ings, while  the  cider,  and  the  apples,  and  the  nuts  were 
passing  around,  had  recited  to  tingling  ears  the  story  of 
their  long  trails,  and  had  stirred  up  afresh  their  smouldering 
camp-fires.  The  reports  which  had  reached  New  York, 
New  England,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia,  of  the  unex- 
ampled fertility  of  the  West,  of  its  early  springs  and 
lingering  autumns,  its  forests  of  valuable  timber,  its  sea- 
like  lakes  and  majestic  rivers,  its  prairies  of  waving  grass, 
its  abounding  mineral  wealth,  had  flown  also  across  the 
Atlantic,  and  had  awakened,  universally,  a  desire  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  fortunes  of  so  magnificent  a  country.  But 
often  the  European  emigrant  was  acted  upon  by  sterner 


16  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

necessities.  A  political  outcast,  whose  only  crime  con- 
sisted in  his  loving  his  native  country  too  well,  he  looked 
for  shelter  to  a  foreign  land.  The  interest  with  which  he 
contemplated  Eepublican  institutions  had  strengthened 
his  attachment  to  a  government  whose  sway  he  had 
never  felt,  and  whose  flag  he  had  never  seen.  The  sturdy 
peasants  of  France  and  Germany,  the  mountaineers  of 
Switzerland,  the  yeomanry  of  England,  the  patriotic 
Irishmen  fleeing  from  unnatural  oppression,  found  an 
asylum  in  the  wilds  of  America. 

It  was  to  have  been  expected  that,  with  these  streams 
of  population  flowing  in  upon  the  West  from  unfailing 
sources,  the  center  of  political  power  in  the  Union  would 
become  removed  beyond  the  Alleghanies.  The  founders 
of  the  Republic  seem,  indeed,  to  have  contemplated  the 
formation  of  states  to  the  north-west  of  the  river  Ohio; 
and  they  made  ample  provision  for  the  integrity  of  them. 
It  may  well  be  doubted,  however,  if  any  of  the  framers 
of  the  American  system  of  government  could  have  fore- 
seen the  splendors  of  that  reality  which  has  been  unfolded 
before  our  eyes. 

But  the  West  had  its  perils  as  well  as  its  advantages ; 
and  the  settler  had  to  brave  the  former,  in  order  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  latter.  A  homestead  he  could  there 
have,  at  little  expense  beyond  that  of  taking  possession  of 
the  land,  and  reducing  it  into  cultivation ;  but  it  would 
have  to  be  obtained  at  the  risks  incident  to  a  howling 
wilderness.  The  soil  might  be  fertile ;  but  it  was  covered 
over  with  dense  forests.  The  exuberant  vegetation  of  the 
prairies  might  furnish  pastures  for  innumerable  herds  of 
buffalo ;  but  the  Indian  war-paths  intersected  these  prai- 
ries in  all  directions.  Life  in  the  wilderness,  evidently, 
was  one  of  rugged  independence ;  free  from  officious  neigh- 
bors, free  from  meddlesome  impertinence  of  every  sort ; 


THE    SUBSTANTIAL    SETTLER.  17 

free  from  the  wholesome  restraints,  also,  of  established 
customs  and  laws.  But  such  a  life  was  clearly  deficient 
in  many  things  necessary  to  civilized  man.  It  could 
furnish  no  security  to  person  or  property,  beyond  the 
exercise  of  mere  brute  force  in  self-defense.  It  could 
not  surround  itself  with  those  genial  influences  of  civil- 
ization which  call  into  play  the  finer  qualities  of  human 
nature.  The  school  was  wanting.  The  church  was 
wanting.  Society  was  wanting.  The  majority  of  those, 
however,  who  contemplated  removing  to  the  West, 
looked  habitually  on  the  brighter  side  of  the  picture. 
Visions  of  sunlit  woods,  of  glittering  streams  and  silvery 
lakes,  of  tables  groaning  with  venison,  of  barns  filled 
with  grain,  of  days  spent  in  wild,  boisterous  enjoyment, 
kept  the  mind  feverish  and  impatient.  If  a  dark  shadow 
did  occasionally  flit  over  the  view,  it  was  but  for  a  mo- 
ment only,  and  then  the  reaction  carried  the  mind  to  a 
still  higher  degree  of  excitement.  This  was  the  "  West- 
ern fever,"  a  disease  that  has  carried  many  a  one  off — 
West.  But  the  man  of  a  cool  head  and  clear  judgment, 
not  unmindful  of  the  difficulties  of  the  undertaking,  could 
see  his  way  opening  gradually  before  him  to  solid  and 
enduring  results.  Brawny  arms  and  a  muscular  frame 
could  contend  successfully  with  the  trees  of  the  forest 
that  had  swayed  to  the  winds  for  centuries.  In  skillful 
hands,  the  American  ax  is  a  masterly  weapon  of  warfare 
upon  wood.  The  burning  to  ashes  of  great  slashings  of 
timber  and  underbrush  would  prepare  the  ground  as  well 
for  seed  as  it  could  be  done  with  the  plow.  A  bountiful 
harvest  would  allay  all  anxiety  respecting  a  scarcity  of 
provisions.  Incessant  toil,  in  a  few  years,  would  turn 
the  hunting-grounds  into  farms.  Orchards  could  be 
planted.  Buildings  could  be  erected.  Each  isolated 

house,  in  the  new  country,  would  be  a  point  of  attraction 

B 


18  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

to  future  emigrants ;  it  would  soon  become  the  center  of 
a  growing  neighborhood ;  and  a  society  would  be  steadily 
forming,  which,  for  a  time,  at  least,  would  remain  free 
from  those  odious  contrasts  which  deform  and  corrupt 
more  populous  communities. 

Such  was  the  prospect  which  was  pleasing  to  the  sub- 
stantial settler.  But  it  is  human  to  magnify  anticipated 
results,  and  to  diminish  anticipated  obstacles.  The  most 
difficult  thing  in  this  world  is,  to  forecast  so  wisely  that 
our  calculations  shall  correspond  to  the  rigid  severity  of 
experience.  Before  a  single  blow  could  be  struck  in  the 
wilderness,  before  a  place  could  be  selected  where  to  put 
up  a  temporary  cabin,  a  long  and  dangerous  journey  had 
to  be  accomplished.  And  traveling,  fifty  years  ago,  to 
any  considerable  distance,  was  not  an  affair  of  trifling 
moment.  The  era  of  steamboats  and  railroads  had  not 
then  dawned  on  the  world.  The  canal  which  connects 
the  Hudson  Riverwith  the  lakes,  existed  only  as  a  dream 
in  the  mind  of  an  enthusiastic  statesman.  The  highways 
leading  westward  were  little  more  than  wheel-ruts  cut 
deep  in  the  soil.  Bridges  were  rarely  seen.  The  strug- 
gling teams  were  plunged  into  the  waters  at  the  fording- 
places.  On  approaching  the  remote  frontier,  the  traces 
of  a  road  had  become  more  and  more  faint  and  indistinct ; 
a  little  further  on,  the  road  itself  had  dwindled  into  a  horse- 
path, then  a  blind  trail,  and  then,  as  a  facetious  traveler 
has  said,  "it  turned  into  a  squirrel  track,  and  ran  up  a 
tree." 

New  roadways  and  wagon-tracks  are  thrust  forward 
by  civilization,  in  advance  of  its  great,  general  move- 
ments. When,  therefore,  the  emigrant  had  passed  all 
those,  he  had  got  beyond  the  border  —  he  had  come  into 
the  midst  of  the  great  western  woods.  And  there  the 
difficulties  of  the  way  began  to  thicken  around  him.  Hia 


THE    OPEN-HEARTED    FRONTIERSMAN.  19 

perilous  journey  was  but  just  beginning.  For,  although 
he  may  have  been  traveling  for  weeks,  since  he  had  left 
the  eastern  shore  of  Virginia,  or  the  river  counties  of 
New  York,  or  the  hills  of  New  England,  his  course  thus 
far  had  taken  him  along  the  line  of  the  settlements, 
where  he  had  been  sure  of  a  cordial  reception  at  every 
farm-house.  The  inhabitants  of  a  country  which  has 
been  brought  recently  into  occupation,  dwelling  far  apart 
from  each  other,  are  keenly  alive  to.  every  opportunity 
for  social  intercourse.  They  live  with  an  open  door  to 
strangers.  The  choicest  fare  is  brought  out,  the  best 
accommodations  made  ready  which  the  house  affords,  to 
promote  the  traveler's  comfort,  so  long  as  he  shall  choose 
to  remain  with  them.  The  stranger  is  always  welcome. 
The  settler  feels  a  manly  pride  in  extending  to  all  a  free 
invitation  to  take  shelter  beneath  his  roof.  To  pass  him 
by  without  so  much  as  halting,  or  apologizing  for  such  an 
apparent  slight,  is  looked  upon  as  an  exceedingly  shabby 
proceeding.  It  is  contrary  to  all  his  notions  of  pro- 
priety. Instances  have  occurred  of  grave  offense  being 
given,  by  refusing  to  stop  to  dinner,  or  to  stay  all  night 
with  the  rude,  open-hearted  frontiersman ;  who,  actuated 
by  a  generous  instinct,  acknowledges  that  all  new-comers 
have  claims  upon  him,  which  he  is  anxious  to  make 
good ;  and  who  feels  that  he,  in  his  turn,  has  demands 
upon  them,  for  conversation,  for  news  from  down-country, 
for  friction  of  mind  upon  mind,  which  they  ought  to  sat- 
isfy. Indeed,  a  capital  story  is  received  as  lawful  tender 
for  victuals  and  lodging,  eyerywhere  along  the  border. 

The  unstinted  hospitality  of  the  settlers  scattered 
along  the  ways  leading  toward  the  West  greatly  facil- 
itated the  progress  of  emigration,  by  softening  its 
hardships  and  lessening  its  expenses.  But  between  the 
settlements  lay  wide  reaches  of  forest,  and,  further  on, 


20  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

the  unbroken  -wilderness.  When,  therefore,  the  emigrant 
had  pressed  forward  beyond  the  established  dwelling- 
places  of  men,  his  journey  began  to  assume  an  entirely 
different  character.  Cultivated  fields  no  longer  opened 
before  him,  with  the  grateful  assurance  of  plenty  and 
welcome  good  cheer  near  at  hand.  No  longer  the  smoke 
curled  upward  invitingly  from  the  house  by  the  roadside. 
Surrounded  now  by  the  grand  old  forms  of  nature,  the 
emigrant  felt  isolated,  cut  off  from  all  human  associations. 
In  the  midst  of  savage  sights  and  savage  sounds,  he  was 
moving  onward  through  perpetual  shade.  His  present 
situation  would  be  apt  to  make  the  stoutest  heart  feel  its 
weakness  and  dependence.  Alone  in  the  wilderness,  the 
trees  must  be  his  companions  by  day  and  his  shelter  by 
night.  The  woods  were  before  him,  the  woods  were  round 
about  him.  They  interposed  their  huge  trunks  between 
him  and  the  world.  They  lifted  on  high  their  umbrageous 
tops,  and  shut  out  the  heavens.  Many  have  turned  back 
from  their  awful  presence.  But  the  solitude  of  the  forest 
was  far  from  being  repulsive ;  it  was  simply  overpowering. 
Its  terrors  were  softened  by  many  peculiar  beauties.  There 
was  the  witchery  of  its  swinging  shadows.  There  was  the 
sunshine  glancing  from  innumerable  leaves.  And  on 
every  hand,  opening  down  into  the  distant  gloom,  were 
long  avenues  of  trees,  arched  over  with  waving  branches 
and  foliage,  through  which  the  struggling  light  pene- 
trated below,  and  danced  to  the  music  of  the  winds.  At 
night,  the  stars  hung  out  upon  the  tree-tops.  If  no  hu- 
man voice  was  responsive  to  the  emigrant's  voice,  yet  the 
birds,  morning  and  evening,  poured  their  songs  into  his 
ear.  And  in  the  repose  of  midday,  and  in  the  silence 
of  night,  all  was  not  hushed ;  for  the  very  stillness  of 
the  woods  was  audible.  The  trees  were  continually  sigh- 
ing and  moaning  in  the  breathing  air.  But  when  storms 


MODES   OF   CONVEYANCE.  21 

swept  down  upon  them,  they  writhed,  and  shrieked, 
and  clashed  their  rude  arms,  and  roared  upon  a  thousand 
trumpets. 

Day  after  day,  amid  scenes  of  solitary  grandeur, 
the  emigrant  had  to  grope  about  in  the  woods  with 
no  other  guides  than  the  sun  and  stars,  the  courses 
of  the  hills  and  streams,  hewing  for  himself  a  passage 
through  interminable  windfalls  of  timber,  winding  around 
swamps,  rafting  over  rivers — toward  that  distant  point 
where  he  was  hoping  to  be  able  to  ascertain  and  secure 
his  claim.  In  this  present  age  of  rapid  and  easy  transi- 
tion from  place  to  place,  it  is  difficult  to  form  a  just  con- 
ception of  the  length,  the  tediousness,  the  hardships  of 
those  earlier  emigrations  to  the  West. 

When  men,  alone,  undertook  to  penetrate  into  the 
depths  of  the  wilderness,  they  usually  went  forward  on 
horseback,  or  on  foot,  as  was  best  suited  to  their  circum- 
stances or  convenience.  Quite  frequently,  however,  a 
whole  family  was  to  be  removed  at  once,  together  with 
the  household  goods,  farming  implements,  tools,  and  cattle. 
It  must  have  required  great  resolution  to  break  up  the 
old  attachments  which  bind  men  to  the  places  of  their 
birth.  It  must  have  required  an  heroic  courage  to  do 
this  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  a  new  home,  not  only 
among  strangers,  but  among  wild  beasts  and  savages. 
But  the  fathers  and  mothers,  fifty  years  ago,  seem  to  have 
possessed  a  spirit  which  rose  above  the  perils  of  their 
times.  They  went  forward,  unhesitatingly,  in  their  long 
and  toilsome  journeys  westward,  driving  their  slow-footed 
oxen  and  lumbering-wagons  hundreds  of  miles  over 
ground  where  no  road  was,  through  woods  infested  with 
bears,  and  wolves,  and  panthers,  and  warlike  tribes  of  In- 
dians, settling  in  the  midst  of  those  dangerous  enemies, 
and  conquering  them  all. 


22        .  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

After  it  had  been  decided  upon  to  remove  with  the 
family  to  the  West,  a  mode  of  conveyance  had  to  be  pro- 
vided, suited  to  the  feebleness  of  women  and  children,  and 
to  the  carrying  of  supplies  for  man  and  beast.  A  few 
were  so  fortunately  situated  on  the  banks  of  rivers  that 
they  could  float  down  with  the  current  in  flat-boats, 
while  their  cattle  were  being  driven  along  the  shore; 
or  if  it  was  necessary  to  ascend  toward  the  head-waters 
of  a  river,  they  could  work  their  way  up  stream  with  set- 
ting-poles. But  very  many  of  the  emigrants  traveled 
wholly  with  teams.  Some  of  those  who  went  part  of 
the  way  in  boats  had  to  begin  or  end  their  journeys  on 
wagons.  The  vehicles  which  they  provided  on  such  oc- 
casions, for  land-carriage,  Were  curiosities  of  wheelcraft. 

The  old-fashioned  Jersey-wagon  has  long  since  given 
place  to  more  showy  and  flexible  vehicles.  Before  open 
buggies,  or  buggies  with  tops,  had  a  being ;  before  light 
farm-wagons  or  democrat  market-wagons  were  ever 
thought  of;  before  the  miscreant  was  born  that  invented 
those  airy  nothings,  consisting  of  thills  and  wheels,  on 
which  fools  ride  astraddle,  with  a  horse's  tail  switching 
between  their  legs  —  the  old-fashioned  Jersey -wagon  was 
an  established  institution.  It  once  rolled  deep  in  the 
sands  between  the  Delaware  and  the  Hudson.  It  once 
rumbled  among  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania.  It  once 
toted  corn  and  tobacco  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Virginia. 
It  once  toiled  heavily  up  and  down  the  Mohawk.  Where 
is  it  now?  It  used  to  descend  with  the  family  name, 
from  father  to  son,  without  injury  and  without  repair. 
But  it  has  mysteriously  disappeared.  The  old-fashioned 
Jersey-wagon,  its  broad  fellies  heavily  tired,  its  solid-run- 
ning gearing,  its  liberal  allowance  of  tongue,  its  high  end- 
boards  and  curving  side-boards,  ribbed,  and  barred,  and 
riveted,  glaring  in  red  paint,  was  not  gotten  up  for  show. 


THE  PREPARATION  AND  START.        23 

It  made  no  pretensions  to  beauty.  It  was  altogether  a 
substantial  piece  of  work.  "What  has  become  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Jersey-wagon,  with  the  four  horses  sweating 
along  before  it,  the  driver  on  the  near  wheel-horse,  twitch- 
ing at  a  single  rein  ]  The  old-fashioned  Jersey -wagon  was 
the  great  original  of  the  emigrant  wagon  of  the  West. 

The  spring  of  the  year  was  the  season  usually  selected 
for  moving.  Much  preparation  had  to  be  made  before 
entering  upon  a  journey  which  would  require  months  for 
its  completion.  During  many  weeks  previous  to  the 
appointed  time,  the  emigrant  had  been  anxiously  providing 
against  the  possible  accidents  and  probable  discomforts 
of  the  road.  The  wagon-box  had  been  fitted  up  with 
flat,  iron  staples,  about  eighteen  inches  apart,  along  its 
sides,  and  in  those  had  been  placed,  upright,  ashen  hoops, 
that  stood  some  five  feet  above  the  bottom-boards,  the 
forward  hoops  projecting  considerably  over  the  hounds, 
and  the  back  ones  over  the  end  of  the  reach,  which  stuck 
out  behind.  Over  this  frame-work  had  been  drawn  a 
covering  of  canvas  or  cotton,  puckered  up  a  little  around 
the  edges  in  front,  but  drawn  together,  like  a  bag,  behind, 
and  tied  with  a  string.  Upon  one  side  of  the  wagon-box 
had  been  fastened  cleats,  to  secure  the  axes,  spades,  chis 
els,  and  augers ;  and  on  the  other  side,  a  rack,  for  pots, 
kettles,  and  pans.  Beneath  the  hinder  axletree,  from  a 
staple  driven  into  the  firm  wood,  swung  the  tar-bucket. 
Across  the  back  end  of  the  wagon-box,  extending  out 
ward,  its  ends  even  with  the  wheels,  was  suspended  the 
feeding-trough  for  the  team,  strongly  secured  in  its  place 
by  iron  straps.  An  extra  log-chain  had  been  coiled 
around  the  reach,  underneath  the  wagon.  The  crowbar 
was  flung  into  the  feeding-trough. 

Having  made  sale  of  his  surplus  goods  at  an  old-fash 
ioned  vendue,  where  his  neighbors  had  bought  many  arti- 


24  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

cles  as  keepsakes ;  having  had  one  more  friendly  gather- 
ing beneath  his  roof,  to  bid  all  good-by,  the  emigrant 
loaded  his  wagon,  and  was  ready  to  start.  Now,  when 
the  teams  had  been  brought  up,  the  women  and  children 
too^k  their  places  on  the  chests,  and  boxes,  and  bundles 
of  bedding.  The  little  baby-girl  sat  on  its  mother's  lap, 
sucking  its  thumb,  wondering.  The  youngest  boy 
crouched  at  his  grandmother's  feet;  and  he  inquired  of 
her,  as  soon  as  they  were  fairly  out  of  the  gate,  if  they 
were  not  most  there  now.  Slowly  trudged  the  oxen 
along  with  the  huge,  high,  awkward,  rattling  load.  The 
biggest  boy  walked  alongside  the  team,  the  post  of  honor, 
driving.  Now  he  would  pat  "Old  Buck"  affectionately 
on  the  neck,  at  which  the  patient  brute  would  keep  lolling 
out  his  tongue,  and  flapping  his  ears ;  then  he  would  look 
round,  and  ask  father  some  question,  who  walked 
thoughtfully  midway  between  the  wheels;  or  speak 
gently  to  mother,  who  could  barely  smile  through  her 
tears.  The  other  boys  drove  the  cows,  and  "Bose"  jog- 
ged along  under  the  feeding-trough,  his  nose  just  clear  of 
the  tar-bucket. 

I  do  not  intend  to  follow  the  emigrants  throughout 
their  long  journeyings  toward  the  West.  Captivating 
as  a  tramp  into  the  woods  may  seem  to  be  to  those  who 
are  living  within  the  glare  of  brick  walls,  it  is,  in  reality, 
a  laborious,  wearisome  undertaking.  Sweating  through 
the  brush,  climbing  over  logs,  slumping  into  marshes,  tum- 
bling over  roots,  in  fair  weather,  is  downright  hard  work, 
to  say  nothing  of  those  nuisances,  the  musquitoes  and 
gnats.  There  is  poetry,  it  is  true,  in  standing  under 
trees  during  a  shower,  listening  to  the  pattering  drops, 
and  seeing  the  leaves  lift  themselves  up  to  drink  the 
rain.  But  poetry  was  never  intended  to  keep  the  skin 
dry.  And  the  interest  gives  way  to  terror,  when  the  trees, 


INCIDENTS  BY  THE  WAT.  25 

bending  and  swinging  in  the  wind,  knock  off  their  branches 
overhead,  or  the  lightning  shivers  down  their  huge  trunks. 
The  daily  experiences  of  those  who  penetrate  into  the 
woods  of  a  country  fit  to  become  the  future  abiding- 
place  of  men  are,  indeed,  quite  uniform.  And  the  inci- 
dents, therefore,  that  befell  the  emigrants  were  character- 
ized by  a  tedious  sameness,  which,  after  a  while,  began  to 
blunt  the  senses,  and  weigh  down  upon  the  spirits.  The 
most  attractive  scenery,  if  perpetually  before  the  eyes,  will 
lose  its  power  to  please,  by  losing  its  power  to  fix  the 
attention.  This  effect  was  hastened  by  the  constant  recur- 
rence of  vexations,  cares,  and  annoyances,  which,  although 
they  did  not  strip  from  the  road  through  the  wilderness 
its  grand  and  beautiful  objects,  indisposed  the  mind  to 
the  perception  and  enjoyment  of  them.  "When  man  is 
placed  under  unfavorable  circumstances,  deprived  of  those 
beneficent  influences  that  flow  from  intelligence  and  re- 
finement, he  will  assume  an  insensibility  which  makes 
him  blind  to  the  most  beautiful  creations,  and  his  spiritual 
activity  will  become  greatly  irregular,  flashing  forth,  on 
some  sudden  emergence,  with  terrific  power,  and  then 
subsiding  as  quickly  into  habitual,  uniform  stolidity. 
Life,  in  proportion  as  it  deteriorates  from  civilization 
toward  the  conditions  of  the  savage  state,  may  sometimes, 
indeed,  be  intensely  pleasurable  in  its  excitements ;  but  it 
will  have  lost  the  elasticity  of  its  spring,  and  be  incapa- 
ble of  vibrating,  except  when  some  opposing  force  is 
hurled  violently  against  it. 

The  emigrants,  ere  long,  found  that  the  wilderness  had 
lost  the  charm  of  novelty.  Sights  and  sounds  that  were 
at  first  pleasing,  and  had  lessened  the  sense  of  discomfort, 
soon  ceased  to  attract  attention.  Their  minds,  solely 
occupied  with  obstacles,  inconveniences,  and  obstructions, 
at  every  step  of  the  way,  became  sullen,  or,  at  the  least, 
2 


26  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

indifferent.  For  the  first  few  days  in  the  woods,  they  had 
had  a  wild  satisfaction  in  the  wayside  meal,  beneath 
the  high,  o'erarching  canopy  of  foliage.  "Buck"  and 
"  Bright,"  at  the  feeding-trough,  were  up  to  their  eyes  in 
bran  and  shorts.  The  cows  straightened  out  their  jaws 
in  a  line  with  their  throats,  and  chewed  awkwardly  upon 
the  hard  nubbins  of  corn.  The  flames  were  crackling. 
The  pork  sputtered  in  the  frying-pan.  The  children, 
among  the  wild  violets,  were  playing  at  fighting  roosters. 
With  the  wreathing  smoke  went  up  the  grateful 
incense  of  tea.  How  they  cracked  jokes  over  their 
victuals,  seated  around  on  the  carpet  of  leaves,  and 
laughed,  and  shouted,  and  poked  fun  at  each  other.  Al- 
together, it  was  a  delightful  picnic.  But  picnics,  three 
times  a  day  for  a  month  or  two,  will  become  odious. 

In  this  manner  the  earlier  emigrants  went  forward. 
Driving  before  them  their  heavy  teams  and  cattle  by  day, 
they  slept  around  the  camp-fire  at  night.  There  was 
little  variety  in  the  work  that  had  to  be  done  during  the 
journey.  Old,  moss-covered  logs,  rotting  on  the  ground, 
bad  to  be  cut  away.  Rude  bridges  had  to  be  built  over 
the  creeks.  Sometimes  the  wagons  would  sink  to  the 
hub  in  a  slough-hole,  and  would  have  to  be  pried  out; 
and  then,  the  "haw "-ing,  and  "gee "-ing,  and  shouting, 
and  the  curses,  rough  enough  to  take  the  bark  off  the 
trees,  would  give  full  play  to  the  lungs  and  throat.  But 
when  they  had  come  to  a  deep  river,  they  could  resort 
only  to  the  raft. 

The  casualties  of  life  clustered  thickly  around 
the  emigrants  upon  the  road.  They  were  exposed 
to  great  personal  risks.  An  unlucky  step  might  wrench 
an  ankle.  The  ax  might  glance  from  a  twig,  and  split 
a  foot  open.  A  broken  leg,  or  a  severed  artery,  is  a 
frightful  thing,  where  no  surgeon  can  be  had.  Exposure 


THE  BURIED  TREASURE.  27 

to  all  the  changes  of  the  weather — sleeping  upon  the 
damp  ground,  frequently  brought  on  fevers;  and  sickness 
is  a  great  calamity,  always,  to  the  traveler.  It  must 
have  been  appalling  in  the  woods.  Many  a  mother  has 
carried  her  wailing,  languishing  child  in  her  arms,  to 
lessen  the  jolting  of  the  wagon,  without  being  able  to 
render  it  the  necessary  assistance.  Many  a  family  has 
paused  on  the  way  to  gather  a  leafy  couch  for  a  dying 
brother  or  sister.  Many  a  parent  has  laid  in  the  grave, 
in  the  lonely  wilderness,  the  child  he  shall  meet  no  more 
till  the  morning  of  the  resurrection ;  and  then  has  gone 
on  sorrowing.  Many  a  heart,  at  the  "West,  has  yearned 
at  the  thought  of  the  buried,  treasured  beneath  the 
spreading  tree.  After-comers  have  stopped  over  the  little 
mound,  and  pondered  upon  the  rude  memorial  carved  in 
the  bark  above  it ;  and  those  who  had  sustained  a  similar 
loss,  have  wrung  their  hands  and  wept  over  it,  for  their 
own  wounds  were  opened  afresh. 

But  in  spite  of  every  obstacle,  in  the  face  of  every  con- 
sideration of  personal  ease  and  convenience,  in  defiance 
of  every  peril,  known  and  unknown,  the  earlier  emigrants 
pressed  forward— the  pioneers  of  civilization  in  the  West. 
This  view  of  their  hardships,  and  difficulties,  and  suffer- 
ings, tends  to  show  what  a  noble  race  of  men  they  were. 
A  heroism  was  displayed  by  them,  as  grand,  as  exalted,  as 
that  of  an  army  marching  and  conquering  through  a  hos- 
tile land.  Among  the  benefactors  of  mankind,  a  place 
should  be  given  to  those  who  led  the  way  in  reducing  a 
howling  wilderness  into  a  flourishing  empire. 


28  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY   HISTORY   OF   THE    WEST. 

Territory  included  in  the  Great' West  —  Water-shed,  or  divide  —  The 
rivers  and  their  tributaries  —  The  fur-hunter's  canoe-passage  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico — River  system — Progress  of  the  French  mission- 
aries, as  early  as  1632  —  Nicolet  —  His  influence  over  the  Indians  — 
The  journey  of  his  life  —  His  reception  at  Green  Bay  —  Council 
with  the  chiefs — Iroquois  war — Its  effects  on  the  missions — The 
great  river  west  of  the  lakes  —  Claude  Allouez,  the  first  explorer  of 
Lake  Michigan  —  Frozen  in  on  Lake  Michigan  —  Sailing  on  the  ice 
in  a  canoe  —  Pitch  Rock  —  Visit  to  the  villages  of  the  Illinois  — 
M.  Joliet  and  James  Marquette,  explorers  of  the  Mississippi  —  Their 
birth,  education,  and  character — Marquette  among  the  missions  — 
Visited  by  the  Illinois  Indians  —  Contemplates  exploring  the  Missis- 
sippi alone  —  Is  stationed  at  Michilimackinac  —  Arrival  of  Joliet 
with  orders  to  explore  the  Mississippi  —  Prayers  and  thanksgiving 
for  the  favors  conferred  on  them — Preparation  and  outfit — The 
Canadian  canoe. 

THE  region  of  country  denominated  the  West  has 
been  constantly  decreasing  in  extent  of  surface  on  the 
eastern  side,  although  the  land  still  lies  just  where  it 
was  fashioned  by  the  hand  of  God.  It  once  spread  out 
from  ocean  to  ocean.  But  it  first  began  to  recede  when 
an  opening  was  made  in  the  woods  at  Plymouth  and  at 
Jamestown.  Since  then,  the  growth  of  population  has 
steadily  driven  the  wilderness  before  it,  over  the  moun- 
tains, and  beyond  the  great  lakes.  And  the  progress  of 
civilization  will  continue  to  sweep  away  westward,  nar- 
rowing the  limits  of  wild  beasts  and  Indians,  until  the 
sound  of  the  woodman's  ax  shall  mingle  with  the  roar  of 
the  waves  along  the  coast  of  the  Pacific.  But  that  time 
has  not  yet  come.  The  West  may  still  be  found,  without 


THE    RIVERS   AND    THEIR   TRIBUTARIES.  29 

following  the  apocryphal  directions  of  an  old  hunter,  who 
said,  that  it  was  situated  "  about  half  a  mile  this  side  of 
sundown."  The  eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
'descends,  gradually,  through  a  distance  of  five  hundred 
miles,  to  the  Mississippi  River.  That  elevated  table-land, 
channeled  by  rivers,  dotted  and  belted  with  forests,  its 
openings  undulating  as  the  sea,  with  the  exceptions  of 
Iowa,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  the  settlements  of  Mine- 
sota,  Nebraska,  and  Kansas,  is  the  hunting-ground  of 
savage  tribes.  And  all  around  the  southern  shore  of 
Lake  Superior,  and  in  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan 
north  of  the  Grand  River,  in  the  north-western  portions 
of  Wisconsin,  and  the  western  part  of  Iowa,  is  the  great 
wilderness  of  woods,  still  standing  in  the  solitary  mag- 
nificence of  Nature.  The  West  properly  includes,  also, 
the  states  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Ohio. 

There  is  not  another  region  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
comparing  with  this  in  size,  that  is  so  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  running  water.  It  is  laced  all  over  with  a 
vast  net-work  of  rivers.  The  streams,  flowing  toward 
all  the  points  of  the  compass,  converge,  at  last,  and  pour 
their  accumulated  floods  far  out  into  the  gulfs  of  Mexico 
and  St.  Lawrence.  Between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains  is  an  extensive  water-shed,  or  divide, 
more  than  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  which  gives  rise 
to  three  distinct  river  systems,  of  incalculable  advantage 
to  the  West.  Commencing  in  the  county  of  Cattaraugus, 
in  the  state  of  New  York,  the  general  direction  of  this 
water-shed  is  south-west,  through  a  part  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  west,  through  Ohio  and  Indiana;  thence  passing  up, 
in  a  north-westerly  direction,  through  Illinois,  within 
sixty  miles  of  Chicago,  through  Wisconsin,  and  the 
north-eastern  part  of  Minesota,  it  turns  away  westward. 
It  consists  of  a  ridge  of  land  so  slightly  elevated  that 


30  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

it  can  scarcely  be  perceived  to  be  either  ascending  or  de- 
scending. It  separates  the  western  waters,  which  flow 
into  the  Red  Eiver  of  the  north,  and  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  into  the  Mississippi.  Through  these  great 
natural  channels  of  water  communication,  the  West  may 
draw  to  itself  the  manufactures  of  the  East,  and  the  trop- 
ical productions  of  the  South,  and  the  furs  of  the  North. 
Through  them,  also,  it  may  send  its  inexhaustible  sup- 
plies of  grain,  and  beef,  and  pork,  to  all  the  world.  And 
when  a  connection  shall  have  been  established  between 
the  Missouri  and  the  Columbia  rivers,  it  may  hold  com- 
mercial intercourse  with  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe. 
Distinguished  from  all  other  water-sheds,  which,  like  the 
Andes,  the  Pyrenees,  and  the  Alps,  are  mountainous  and 
uninhabitable,  this  is  surpassingly  fertile.  Those  seem  to 
have  been  formed  with  a  design  to  divide  and  separate 
nations ;  this,  to  bind  a  whole  continent  into  one. 

Far  away,  in  the  interior  of  North  America,  between 
the  forty-sixth  and  the  forty-seventh  parallels  of  latitude, 
where  they  are  intersected  by  the  sixteenth  degree  of 
longitude,  west  from  Washington,  is  a  sandy  plain,  six 
miles  wide,  which  alone  separates  the  head-waters  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  from  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  And 
in  the  central  portions  of  Minesota  there  are  two  streams 
of  water,  flowing  within  three  miles  of  each  other,  through 
an  open  prairie, — the  one,  a  branch  of  the  St.  Peter's  run- 
ning southward  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  the  other,  a  branch 
of  the  Red  River  of  the  north,  emptying  into  Hudson's 
Bay. 

The  St.  Lawrence,  including  also  the  great  lakes  —which 
are  but  vast  expansions  of  its  stream — is  the  most  remark- 
able river  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.  Rising  in 
the  center  of  the  great  American  plain,  it  runs  east  and 
northeast,,  through  a  fertile  and  beautiful  country,  for 


LAKES  AND   RIVEES.  31 

more  than  three  thousand  miles,  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
Other  rivers  there  are,  which  expand  in  picturesque  ba- 
sins, and  which  have  been  celebrated  in  story  and  in  song. 
The  Hudson  has  its  lake  at  Saratoga,  and  its  Tappan 
Zee ;  the  Ehone  has  its  Lake  Geneva ;  the  Oswego  has  its 
broader  lakelets,  Oneida,  Owasco,  Skaneateles,  Cayuga, 
and  Seneca.  But  the  St.  Lawrence  spreads  out  into  five 
principal  seas,  whose  waves,  roused  up  by  tempests,  dash 
and  roar  like  the  billows  of  the  ocean;  whose  harbors, 
also,  thronged  with  shipping,  present  their  forests  of 
masts  in  rivalry  with  seaport  towns.  It  is  worthy  of 
notice,  that  the  largest  of  those  lakes,  Huron,  Superior, 
and  Michigan,  are  placed  furthest  inland,  as  if  to  invite  a 
display  of  commercial  enterprise,  on  a  grand  scale,  in  the 
heart  of  the  continent. 

The  Mississippi  is  not  so  long,  following  its  main  chan- 
nel, as  the  St.  Lawrence;  but  it  takes  hold  on  a  much 
wider  reach  of  country,  by  reason  of  its  larger  tributaries. 
Upon  the  eastern  side,  the  Tennessee,  rising  in  the  moun- 
tains of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  bends  round  through 
the  states  o£  Alabama,  Tennessee,  and  Kentucky,  and 
sends  its  branches  down  into  Georgia  and  Mississippi. 
The  Ohio  comes  flowing  from  Carolina  and  Virginia, 
from  the  confines  of  Maryland  and  New  York,  through 
Pennsylvania,  and  forms  the  boundary  of  five  great  states. 
From  the  north-east  come  the  Wabash,  Kaskaskia,  Il- 
linois, Rock,  and  Wisconsin  rivers.  And  on  the  western 
side,  the  Red  River  of  Louisiana,  and  the  Arkansas,  pour 
through  northern  Texas  the  waters  accumulating  among 
the  mountains  of  New  Mexico  and  Utah.  While  the 
Missouri,  and  its  branches,  the  Kansas,  the  Platte,  and 
the  Yellow  Stone,  are  swelling  with  the  floods  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

The  imagination  can  not  grasp  the  extent  of  the  inland 


32  THE    GREAT    WEST. 

water  communication  of  the  West  with  all  the  other  por- 
tions of  North  America.  The  very  fur-hunter  himself, 
on  the  frozen  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  by  paddling  his 
canoe  along  Hudson's  Bay,  and  up  the  Red  River  of  the 
north,  and  by  drifting  down  with  the  current  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, may  float,  at  last,  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  having 
traversed  the  entire  length  of  the  continent  from  sea  to 
sea,  by  water  alone,  with  the  single  exception  of  a  port- 
age of  only  three  miles.  The  warm,  sunny  South,  and 
the  cold,  icy  North,  meet  together  in  the  West.  The 
land  of  perpetual  summer,  where  the  orange-tree  blooms 
in  the  fragrant  air,  where  the  cotton-plant  flowers,  and 
the  sugar-cane  yields  its  sweetness,  is  bound  fast,  by 
a  continuous  chain  of  rivers,  with  the  dreary  regions  of 
everlasting  snows.  But  the  water  communications  across 
the  continent  are  no  less  wonderful.  These,  also,  open 
through  the  West.  A  traveler  embarking  at  Pittsburg, 
on  board  a  steamboat,  may  pass  down  the  river  Ohio,  and 
up  the  Missouri,  so  far,  that  the  asthmatic  coughing  of 
the  escape-pipe  will  frighten  the  buffaloes  feeding  at  the 
foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  And  the  most  astonishing 
feature  of  this  latter  voyage  of  three  thousand  miles 
would  be,  that,  throughout  its  whole  length,  in  its  begin- 
ning, and  in  its  continuance,  and  in  its  ending,  it  is  every- 
where hundreds  of  miles  inland  from  the  ocean. 

The  fertility  and  beauty  of  the  western  country,  sup- 
plied with  those  magnificent  river  systems,  make  it,  in- 
deed, the  garden  of  the  world.  But  whoever  has  stood 
at  Niagara,  and  contemplated  the  mighty  volume  of  the 
waters  of  the  St.-  Lawrence,  forever  pouring  into  the 
abyss ;  or  on  the  levee,  at  New  Orleans,  and  watched  the 
turbulent  flood  of  the  Mississippi,  seething  and  rolling 
along  at  his  feet,  may  well  have  wondered  whence  comes 
the  supply  of  these  exhaustless  rivers.  The  problem 


SPANISH  AND   FRENCH  TREATMENT.  33 

would  seem  to  have  been  solved.  The  trade-winds, 
sweeping  across  the  broad  surface  of  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
reach  the  American  shore,  heavily  laden  with  moisture ; 
condensing  into  clouds  in  the  cooler  air,  they  hang  for  a 
while  on  the  pinnacles  of  the  mountains;  then,  sailing 
away  to  the  eastward,  they  discharge  their  contents  over 
the  West. 

We  are  in  the  habit  of  thinking  and  speaking  of  the 
region  beyond  the  lakes,  and  upon  the  upper  tributaries 
of  the  Mississippi,  as  a  new  country.  It  is  new  in  the 
sense  that  it  has  only  lately  been  opened  and  occupied 
by  permanent  settlements.  Notwithstanding  that,  it  has 
a  history  which  extends  through  a  period  of  two  hundred 
years.  In  1632,  Canada,  which  had  previously  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  English,  was  restored  to  the  possession 
again  of  the  French.  The  colonies  of  France  seem  to 
have  rivaled  those  of  Spain,  in  the  energy  with  which 
they  prosecuted  their  discoveries  in  the  New  World.  But 
they  adopted  a  widely  different  system  of  exploration. 
The  Spaniards  sent  forth  armed  bands  of  marauders, 
with  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  war,  through  an  unknown 
territory,  to  reduce  all  before  them  into  submission.  They 
precipitated  themselves  with  crushing  force  upon  the  illy- 
prepared  and  unsuspecting  people.  In  this  manner,  under 
the  lead  of  Cortez,  the  Spaniards  achieved  the  conquest 
of  Mexico ;  and  under  the  lead  of  Pizarro,  the  conquest 
of  Peru.  But  their  violence  aroused  the  vindictive  hatred 
of  the  native  population,  and  that  has  been  kept  alive 
against  them  to  the  present  day.  The  French,  on  the 
contrary,  sent  forward,  in  advance,  the  olive-branch,  in- 
stead of  the  sword.  With  a  wiser  policy,  they  humanely 
sought  to  win  over  the  people  among  whom  they  had 
come  to  dwell,  and  to  attach  them  to  the  crown  of  France. 
With  great  flexibility  of  character,  they  readily  adapted 
2*  C 


34  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

themselves  to  the  languages,  manners,  and  customs  of 
the  Indian  tribes,  treating  their  chiefs  with  the  consider- 
ation due  to  their  rank,  and  awakening  personal  attach- 
ments. They  also  intermarried  with  the  tawny  maidens, 
and  strengthened  the  ties  of  friendship  with  those  stronger 
ties  of  kindred  and  family.  Great  consequences  followed 
from  this  prudent  course.  Instead  of  being  hemmed 
in,  like  most  other  colonists,  by  a  barrier  of  exasperated 
savages,  the  French  were  invited  into  the  interior  of 
the  continent. 

It  was  the  missionaries  of  France,  not  her  soldiers, 
that  first  penetrated  into  the  depths  of  the  wilderness. 
And  now,  since  the  province  was  restored,  the  work  of 
exploring  the  country  and  Christainizing  the  Indians, 
which  had  been  abandoned  upon  the  conquest  by  the  Eng- 
lish, was  prosecuted  with  uncommon  vigor.  The  indefat- 
igable Jesuits  struck  boldly  into  the  woods  in  all  direc- 
tions. From  the  St.  Lawrence,  they  crossed  over  to  the 
coast  of  Maine,  where  they  had  established  a  settlement. 
The  North  was  not  so  terrible  but  that  they  could  lead 
the  way,  overland,  from  Quebec  to  Hudson's  Bay,  and 
commence  the  exploration  of  its  waters.  Curious  to 
know  more  of  their  own  great  river,  they  had  followed 
up  the  St.  Lawrence  into  Lake  Ontario;  and  had  there 
struck  off  to  the  south,  into  New  York.  They  were  the 
first  to  discover  the  celebrated  salt-springs  of  Onondaga. 
But  the  country  to  the  westward  had  more  powerful  at- 
tractions for  them.  Their  eyes  had  seen  the  astonishing 
vision  of  an  ocean  of  fresh  water,  high  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  far  inland,  spreading  out  from  its  wooded 
shores  beyond  the  horizon.  From  an  unknown  region, 
the  waves  came  rolling  toward  them,  and  broke  in  thun- 
der along  the  beach.  Indian  rumors  had  told  them  of 
greater  waters,  also,  still  beyond.  A  world  of  wonders 


EARLY   MISSIONS.  35 

was  about  opening  before  them  in  the  wilderness.  The 
love  of  the  marvelous  was  combining  with  national  pride 
and  religious  enthusiasm  in  urging  them  onward  toward 
the  West. 

As  early  as  1640,  the  missionaries  had  followed  up  the 
chain  of  the  lakes  as  far  as  Lake  Superior.  Within  twenty 
years  after  the  Pilgrims  of  New  England  had  landed  at 
Plymouth,  and  at  the  very  time  when  the  Dutch  at  New 
York  were  regarding  the  Hudson  River  as  a  terror,  the 
French  missionaries  were  at  home  in  the  center  of  North 
America.  It  may  be  painful  to  contrast  their  activity 
with  the  sluggishness  of  the  Dutch,  and  with  the  indiffer- 
ence of  the  English  colonists.  While  the  Dutch  were  yet 
swapping  tobacco-pipes  and  trinkets  for  peltry,  with  the 
Indians  around  their  forts,  and  several  years  before  Elliot, 
the  Puritan  missionary,  had  spoken  to  the  Indians  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boston  harbor,  the  Jesuits  had  planted  the 
Cross  at  SaultSte. Marie,  and  were  preparing  to  descend 
into  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  But  no  great  river 
from  the  far  interior  came  flowing  through  New  York 
or  New  England,  inviting  the  adventurous  to  enter  upon 
a  career  of  exploration. 

Canada,  in  this  respect,  had  a  superiority  over  the 
other  colonies  of  the  Atlantic.  Yet  Canada  was  not  a 
flourishing  colony.  Its  climate  was  not  favorable.  Its 
soil  was  not  the  most  productive.  Its  government  was 
military,  and  despotic.  The  simple,  credulous  colonists 
were  deficient  in  energy,  and  had  rather  dream  away  exist- 
ence, after  the  fashion  of  the  Indians  in  their  wigwams, 
than  endure  additional  hardships  in  extending  the  bound- 
aries of  knowledge,  that  had  conferred  so  few  of  its 
favors  on  them.  But  the  missionaries,  indeed,  were  noble 
exceptions,  possessing  rare  attainments  for  that  age,  and 
an  enthusiasm  which  sustained  them  under  the  severest 


36  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

trials.  Fortunately  for  them,  the  colony  had  an  able 
officer  in  the  person  of  its  interpreter  and  commissary, 
•who  encouraged  the  thorough  exploration  of  the  country, 
and  bravely  led  the  way  himself. 

The  gallant  Nicolet  had  come  out  to  Canada,  in  1618. 
His  great  abilities  had  placed  him,  at  once,  in  active 
service.  From  the  time  of  his  arrival  to  the  conquest  by 
the  English,  he  had  been  kept  employed  among  the  In- 
dians ;  and  he  had  become  a  great  favorite  with  them. 
He  spoke  their  languages.  He  understood  the  Indian 
character  better  than  any  other  man  of  his  times.  In- 
deed, so  constantly  had  he  been  with  the  Indians,  that  he 
had  almost  become  an  Indian  himself ;  but  without  los- 
ing that  stubborn  integrity  which  makes  good  faith  pos- 
sible among  men  in  the  savage  state.  Nicolet  was  the 
negotiator  for  the  colony  at  all  the  Indian  councils.  His 
character  for  probity  had  sent  its  influence  far  out  into 
the  wilderness.  When  he  spoke,  chiefs  listened  and  be- 
lieved ;  and  they  called  him  the  Straight  Tongue  of  the 
French.  He  had  been  dispatched  on  the  hazardous  un- 
dertaking of  treating  for  peace  with  the  Iroquois,  after 
their  terrible  war  upon  Canada,  and  he  had  succeeded  in 
inducing  them  to  bury  the  hatchet.  As  a  reward  for  his 
services,  upon  the  restoration  of  the  colony,  he  had  been 
appointed  interpreter  and  commissary.  Seven  years 
afterward,  he  undertook  the  great  journey  of  his  life. 

In  the  spring  of  1639,  as  soon  as  the  accumulated  ice 
of  a  long  winter  had  been  broken  up,  and  the  St.  Law- 
rence set  free,  Nicolet  took  his  departure  from  Quebec, 
for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  explorations  of  the  lake 
region.  He  had  previously  been  as  far  as  Lake  Huron ; 
and  along  its  shores,  and  the  shores  of  Ontario,  the  Cross 
was  already  planted.  But  the  journey  which  he  was 
now  entering  upon  must  have  possessed  peculiar  attrac- 


TREATY   OF   EVERLASTING   AMITY.  37 

tions  to  him.  For,  two  seasons  before  that,  when  treat- 
ing with  the  Indians  that  had  come  down  from  the  regions 
around  Lake  Superior,  he  had  learned  that  the  Great 
Waters  existed,  also,  to  the  southward,  and  to  the  west- 
ward of  their  country.  But  the  Men  of  the  Sea,  as  the 
Indians  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  were  called,  had  been, 
represented  to  be  powerful,  and  engaged  in  frequent  wars 
with  the  Indians  of  Lake  Superior. 

After  having  assisted  in  establishing  a  mission  at  Sault 
Ste.  Marie,  and  taken  a  survey  of  that  interesting  river, 
Nicolet  passed  through  the  Straits  of  Michilimackinac. 
Following  along  the  shore,  he  entered  an  opening  to  the 
west,  and  reached  the  head  of  Green  Bay.  The  season 
was  advancing.  But  a  council  had  to  be  called.  So 
runners  were  dispatched  to  the  hunting-grounds,  giving 
notice  of  the  arrival  of  strange  white  men.  After  awhile, 
the  Men  of  the  Sea  gathered,  at  Green  Bay,  four  or  five 
thousand  warriors.  It  was  a  sublime  spectacle  of  savage 
life,  even  to  Nicolet,  who  had  spent  twenty  years  in  the 
wilderness.  Never  before  had  he  seen  such  gigantic 
trees  as  there  darkened  the  woods  at  noonday.  Never, 
since  the  great  council  with  the  Iroquois,  had  he  been 
among  so  powerful  and  warlike  a  people.  At  Green  Bay, 
Nicolet's  capacity  as  a  negotiator  shone  forth  most  con- 
spicuously. He  not  only  accomplished  a  treaty  of  ever- 
lasting amity  between  the  Men  of  the  Sea  and  the  French, 
but  he  made  peace,  also,  between  them  and  the  tribes  of 
Lake  Superior. 

During  that  council,  the  chiefs,  in  speaking  of  the  Great 
Water,  had  stretched  forth  their  arms  toward  the  West. 
It  would  seem,  however,  that  Nicolet  did  not  understand 
them  to  mean  a  river.  He  was  not  sufficiently  well 
acquainted  with  the  language  of  the  Men  of  the  Sea,  and 
he  thought  they  applied  the  term  Great  Water  to  the 


33  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

ocean,  for  the  lakes,  surely,  were  great  waters ;  and  each 
of  those  had  a  distinctive  name.  He  was  confident  that 
the  western  ocean  was  not  far  distant;  and  he  left  that 
impression  upon  his  return  to  Quebec.  The  season  was 
drawing  to  its  close.  But  Nicolet  was  too  adventurous 
not  to  make  an  attempt  to  reach  the  Great  Water,  before 
retracing  his  steps.  Accordingly,  paddling  up  the  Fox 
Kiver,  and  crossing  the  portage,  he  launched  his  canoe  on 
the  Wisconsin.  And  he  was  soon  floating  down  with  the 
current  that  helps  to  swell  the  mighty  volume  of  the 
Mississippi.  He,  however,  did  not  reach  the  main  chan- 
nel of  that  river,  though  he  was  the  first  to  explore  one 
of  its  head  streams.  For  some  reason  which  has  never 
transpired,  he  was  obliged  to  go  back  to  Green  Bay,  and 
from  thence  to  Quebec.  Nicolet  had,  indeed,  been  within 
three  days'  sail  of  the  mysterious  Great  Water;  but  it  was 
not  his  destiny  ever  to  lift  the  veil  which  hung  over  it. 
The  exigency  of  affairs  detained  him,  during  the  two  suc- 
ceeding years,  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec.  And  in  1642, 
having  been  sent  on  an  errand  of  mercy,  to  rescue  a  poor 
Christian  prisoner  from  the  hands  of  the  Pagan  Indians, 
his  boat,  on  the  last  day  of  October,  at  sunset,  was  cap- 
sized in  a  gale,  near  Sillery,  and  Nicolet  was  drowned. 
The  little  that  is  known  concerning  him  deserves  to  be 
remembered,  for  he  was  the  first  white  man  to  reach  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi  by  the  way  of  the  great  lakes. 
The  road  to  the  Mississippi  could  now  seem  to  have 
been  fairly  opened.  Fifteen  missions  dotted  the  shores 
of  the  lakes,  and  brought  the  distant  St.  Mary's  in  to  com- 
munication with  Quebec.  But  a  greater  calamity  than 
the  loss  of  Nicolet  was  impending  over  the  feeble  colony. 
No  sooner  had  the  waves  closed  over  the  late  interpreter 
and  commissary,  than  the  Iroquois  war  broke  out  with 
ten-fold  fury,  and  raged  for  more  than  fifteen  years.  All 


MASSACRE   OF   THE   FKENCH.  39 

the  province  was  drenched  in  blood.  The  Indian  allies 
of  the  French  were  driven  with  fearful  slaughter  beyond 
the  great  lakes.  Montreal  itself  was  besieged.  And  in 
1650,  all  Upper  Canada  was  a  desert.  Not  a  single  mis- 
sion— not  an  Indian  village  remained.  The  pastor  and 
his  flock  had  been  butchered  together.  Six  of  the  fifteen 
missionaries  had  been  slain,  and  another  had  been  put  to 
the  most  frightful  tortures.  Bressani  was  beaten,  man- 
gled, mutilated;  driven  barefoot  over  rough  paths,  and 
naked  through  briars  and  thickets ;  scourged  by  a  whole 
village;  burned,  tortured,  and  scarred;  he  was  an  eye- 
witness of  the  fate  of  one  of  his  companions,  who  was 
boiled  and  eaten.  And,  although  the  knowledge  of  the 
interior  country  survived  until  the  return  of  peace,  yet 
the  work  of  establishing  missions  and  military-posts  had 
all  to  be  gone  over  again.  But  danger  continued  a  great 
while  lingering  along  the  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  In 
1656,  Garreau  set  out  for  Lake  Superior,  in  search  of  his 
scattered  flock;  but  he  was  waylaid  and  tomahawked 
before  reaching  Lake  Ontario.  Groseillas,  with  a  single 
companion,  more  fortunate  in  their  undertaking,  escaped 
the  lurking  enemy,  and  wintered  two  years  later  at  St. 
Mary's.  There  they  met  with  the  returning  bands  of  the 
fugitive  Indians,  who,  more  than  ten  years  before,  had 
been  swept  away  from  their  hunting-grounds  and  the 
graves  of  their  fathers,  by  the  tempests  of  war.  And 
from  them  they  obtained  a  clear  idea  of  the  Great  River, 
which  flows  toward  the  south.  A  vivid  impression  may 
be  had  of  the  terrible  sway  of  the  Iroquois  over  the 
continent,  by  contemplating  this  feeble  remnant  of  their 
enemies,  creeping  back,  broken  and  dispirited,  from  the 
plains  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

The  evidences  of  the  existence  of  a  great  river  to  the 
west  of  the  lakes   had  begun  to  multiply  rapidly.    The 


40  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

missionaries  in  New  York  saw  Iroquois  war-parties  set 
out,  by  the  way  of  the  Ohio  River,  which,  they  said,  flowed 
into  another  river,  and  led  to  the  sea.  And  in  1660,  Men- 
ard,  for  many  years  a  missionary  among  the  Hurons,  now 
an  old  man,  his  hair  white,  his  frame  shrunken,  but  with  the 
soul  of  a  hero,  skirted  along  Lake  Superior,  and  founded 
a  mission  on  the  southern  shore.  He,  too,  heard 'fre- 
quently of  the  Great  River,  and  he  had  resolved  to  reach 
it  in  his  old  age,  undeterred  by  the  difficulties  before  him. 
But  he  was  called  away  in  another  direction,  and  soon 
after  perished,  at  a  lonely  place  in  the  wilderness,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Menominee. 

The  mantle  of  Menard  would  seem  to  have  fallen,  with 
his  office,  to  his  successor.  Claude  Allouez,  the  first 
explorer  of  Lake  Michigan,  has  imperishably  connected  his 
name  with  the  progress  of  discovery  in  the  West.  He 
left  Quebec  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  May,  1665,  and 
reached  St.  Mary's  in  the  September  following.  Without 
any  delay,  he  launched  his  frail  canoe  on  Lake  Superior, 
and  surveyed  the  whole  southern  shore.  How  impressive 
to  him  must  have  been  the  views  upon  that  vast  inland 
sea,  whose  waters  contrast  so  strangely  with  the  fantastic 
scenery  on  the  land ;  for  the  shores  still  bear  the  marks 
of  the  volcanic  fires,  which  shivered  the  crags  into  ten 
thousand  capricious  forms,  and  poured  the  molten  copper 
over  them,  as  if  in  sport.  He  spent  the  winter  in  erecting 
and  dedicating  his  chapel.  After  that,  crossing  the  lake 
to  the  north,  he  visited  in  their  distress  the  remnant  of  a 
once  powerful  tribe  of  Indians,  who  had  been  driven  half- 
way to  the  frozen  ocean,  by  the  fierce  and  vengeful  Iro- 
quois. Allouez  passed  the  winter  of  1669  at  Green  Bay, 
and  early  in  April  of  the  next  year,  ascending  the  Fox 
River  to  Lake  Winnebago,  he  explored  that  river  beyond 
the  lake,  following  up  its  three  principal  streams.  Then 


DISCOVERY   OF   PITCH   ROCK.  41 

crossing  over  to  the  Wisconsin,  and  searching  out  its 
head  in  the  lakes  and  marshes,  he,  upon  returning,  floated 
down  with  the  waters  which  reach  the  Mississippi,  as 
Nicolet  had  done  thirty  years  before.  Neither  did  Al- 
louez  reach  that  river.  His  missionary  duties  recalled 
him  to  Green  Bay.  And  soon  after,  the  presence  of  all 
the  missionaries  was  required  at  the  great  council,  at 
St.  Mary's,  in  1671,  of  the  French  commander  with 
the  Indians,  to  assist  as  interpreters.  After  that,  the 
missionaries  turned  their  attention  toward  the  more 
southern  tribes. 

Near  the  close  of  October,  1676,  having  completed  his 
preparations  for  founding  a  mission  in  the  Illinois  country, 
Allouez,  and  two  others,  embarked  in  a  canoe  upon  the 
waters  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  winter  set  in  much  ear- 
lier than  common,  and  the  forming  ice  prevented  their 
further  progress  up  the  lake.  But  the  indomitable  spirit 
of  the  brave  missionary  would  not  yield  even  to  the  fear- 
ful elements.  A  return  to  St.  Mary's  was  not  to  be 
thought  of.  Boldly  pushing  to  the  unknown  shore,  a 
camp  was  established,  where,  through  falling  snows  and 
howling  tempests,  Allouez  waited  till  in  the  month  of 
February,  for  the  ice  to  become  sufficiently  solid  to  sup- 
port them  securely  on  its  surface.  Then  setting  forth 
again,  he  adopted  a  novel  method  of  lake  navigation. 
The  canoe  was  drawn  upon  the  ice,  the  sails  spread,  and 
away  they  glided  before  the  wind.  Their  curiosity,  one 
day,  was  very  much  excited  by  a  rock  standing  seven  or 
eight  feet  out  of  the  water,  and  about  three  fathoms  in 
circumference,  which  they  called  Pitch  Rock.  Indeed, 
they  saw  the  pitch  running  down  it,  in  little  drops,  on  the 
side  which  was  warmed  by  the  sun.  It  was  found  to  be 
good  to  pitch  the  canoe,  and  Allouez  used  it  to  seal  his 
letters.  Allouez,  at  last,  entered  the  river  which  leads 


42  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

to  the  Illinois.  That  must  have  been  at  Chicago.  The 
Indians  received  him  handsomely.  "  The  chief,"  he  said, 
"  advanced  about  thirty  steps  to  meet  me,  holding  in  one 
hand  a  firebrand,  and  in  the  other  a  feathered  calumet. 
As  he  drew  near,  he  raised  it  to  my  mouth,  and  himself 
lit  the  tobacco,  which  obliged  me  to  pretend  to  smoke." 
The  Reverend  Father,  it  would  seem,  was  not  accom- 
plished in  the  use  of  the  weed. 

A  few  days  afterward,  in  company  with  these  Indians, 
Allouez  proceeded  inland  to  the  principal  village  of  the 
Illinois,  which  was  found  to  be  situated  on  the  rising 
ground,  a  little  way  back  from  the  river,  and  upon  the 
edge  of  a  prairie  of  vast  extent.  It  was  composed  of 
several  hundred  cabins,  made  of  double  mats  of  flat 
rushes  sewed  together,  scattered  along  in  a  single  street, 
and  all  of  them  fronting  toward  a  marsh  which  skirted 
the  river.  The  Illinois  Indians  are  described  as  having 
been  tall  of  stature,  strong,  and  robust;  in  character, 
proud  and  valiant.  The  richness  and  fertility  of  the 
country  gave  them  fields  everywhere.  They  ordinarily 
carried  the  war-club,  bow,  and  a  quiver  full  of  arrows, 
which  they  could  discharge  so  adroitly  and  quickly  that 
men  armed  with  guns  had  hardly  time  to  raise  them  to 
the  shoulder.  They  had  bucklers,  also,  made  of  the 
skins  of  wild  cattle,  which  were  arrow-proof,  and  cov- 
ered the  whole  body.  The  warriors  had  as  many  wives 
as  they  might  choose  to  have,  often  selecting  several  sis- 
ters, that  they  might  better  agree  together.  The  men 
had  no  great  reputation  for  gallantry ;  they  made  jealous 
husbands,  and  would  cut  off  their  wives'  noses  on  the 
slightest  suspicion.  The  women  are  represented  to  have 
dressed  modestly,  and  behaved  well ;  while  their  lords,  in 
the  summer-time,  strutted  about  in  all  the  dignity  of 
painted  faces,  and  well-greased  skins,  without  a  particle 


MISSISSIPPI   RIVER.  43 

of  covering,  except  a  few  feathers  stuck  on  the  top  of 
the  head. 

The  time  for  Allouez'  departure  having  arrived,  he 
went  back  to  the  North,  intending  to  return  the  next  sea- 
son to  the  Illinois.  But  others  were  sent  there  in  his 
stead.  And  in  1680,  that  tribe  was  scattered,  and  the 
mission  broken  up,  by  an  inroad  of  the  Iroquois  and 
Miamis,  from  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  In 
the  meanwhile,  the  information  which  the  missionaries 
possessed  of  the  country  to  the  westward  of  them  had 
been  enlarging.  The  traders,  who  had  shared  with  them 
all  the  dangers  of  the  wilderness,  had  felt  an  interested 
curiosity  as  to  the  courses  and  directions  of  the  streams 
that  might  open  to  them  new  avenues  for  trafficking.  The 
Great  River  had  become  known  to  them  by  its  name — the 
Mississippi.  They  had  learned  from  the  Indians  its  gen- 
eral features,  and  the  nature  of  the  country  through 
which  it  was  flowing.  It  seemed  to  them  to  encircle  all 
the  lakes,  rising  in  the  north,  and  running  to  the  south, 
till  it  emptied  into  a  sea,  which  they  supposed  to  be  the 
Gulf  of  California,  or  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  and  some 
even  imagined  that  it  wound  around  to  the  east  as  far  as 
Chesapeake  Bay.  Rumor  always  runs  far  in  advance  of 
our  knowledge  of  a  new  country,  and  keeps  the  mind  per- 
plexed between  curiosity  and  doubt.  But  the  time  had, 
at  length,  arrived,  when  all  those  uncertainties  respecting 
the  river  were  about  to  be  dispelled.  The  men  to  whom 
belongs  the  honor  of  subjecting  the  Mississippi  to  the 
dominion  of  the  white  man,  were  already  preparing  for 
their  memorable  voyage. 

Of  M.  Joliet  but  little  is  now  known,  beyond  the  cir- 
cumstances which  cluster  more  immediately  around  his 
celebrated  adventure  down  the  Mississippi.  He  was  a 
native  of  Canada.  But  the  remembrance  of  the  particular 


44  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

place  of  his  birth  has  quite  faded  away  from  among 
men.  Joliet  owed  his  education  to  the  Jesuit  college  of 
Quebec,  where  he  is  said  to  have  been  a  classmate  of  the 
first  Canadian  that  was  advanced  to  the  priesthood. 
After  quitting  the  college,  he  had  proceeded  to  the  West, 
to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  fur-trade.  And  during  that 
period  of  his  life,  he  is  known  to  have  acquired  the 
knowledge  and  experience  which  induced  the  government 
to  select  him  as  the  explorer  of  the  Mississippi.  This 
choice  was  most  agreeable  to  the  western  missionaries, 
for  Joliet  had  always  been  on  terms  of  close  intimacy 
with  them.  His  equally  illustrious  companion  of  the  voy- 
age, James  Marquette,  has  given  us  a  sketch  of  M.  Jo- 
liet's  character,  which  shows  him  to  have  been  eminently 
fitted  for  the  arduous  and  perilous  undertaking.  Mar- 
quette says :  "  The  Sieur  Joliet  was  a  young  man,  born 
in  this  country,  and  endowed  with  every  quality  that 
could  be  desired  in  such  an  enterprise.  He  possessed 
experience,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  languages  of  the 
Ottawa  country,  where  he  had  spent  several  years.  Ho 
had  the  tact  and  prudence  so  necessary  for  the  success  of 
a  voyage  equally  dangerous  and  difficult.  And  lastly,  he 
had  the  courage  to  fear  nothing,  where  all  is  to  be  feared." 
A  noble  tribute,  indeed,  as  honorable  to  the  heart  of  Mar- 
quette as  it  is  advantageous  to  the  character  of  M.  Joliet. 
James  Marquette  was  born  in  the  year  1637,  at  the 
city  of  Laon,  in  the  mountainous  department  of  Aisne, 
in  France.  He  accordingly  was  thirty-six  years  old  when 
he  set  out  on  his  great  voyage  upon  the  Mississippi.  The 
family  of  the  Marquettes  is  the  most  ancient  family  of 
Laon ;  and  it  has  always  been  characterized  by  a  martial 
spirit,  which  drove  its  members  into  the  armies  of  France, 
in  pursuit  after  distinction.  And  the  United  States, 
also,  are  under  obligations  to  cherish  the  memory  of  that 


THE    DESERTED    MISSIONS.  45 

distinguished  family,  for  three  of  its  sons  accompanied  the 
French  army  to  our  own  shores,  and  perished  on  the  bat- 
tle-fields of  the  American  Revolution.  James  Marquette 
was  as  ardent  and  enthusiastic  in  following  the  Cross  as 
the  others  of  the  name  have  been  in  following  the  sword. 
At  his  own  request,  he  was  removed  from  the  province  of 
Champaigne,  which  contained  no  foreign  mission,  and  was 
transferred  to  the  province  of  France,  which  contained 
the  missions  in  the  far  West.  Having,  at  the  earliest 
opportunity,  sailed  for  that  new  field  of  labor,  he  had 
arrived  at  Quebec  on  the  20th  day  of  September,  1666. 
That  was  a  period  of  deep  interest  in  the  history  of  the 
colony,  and  in  the  progress  of  discovery  in  the  interior  of 
the  continent.  The  long  war  of  extermination  waged  by 
the  Iroquois  upon  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies  had 
been  brought  to  a  conclusion;  and,  with  the  return  of 
peace,  the  prospects  of  the  missionaries  had  begun  to 
brighten.  The  region  of  the  western  missions,  so  long 
laid  waste  and  neglected,  had  been  reopened,  and  was 
then  being  enlarged.  All  New  York,  from  Onondaga  to 
the  Niagara  Iliver,  had  been  explored.  The  deserted 
missions  had  been  revived  along  Lake  Huron,  and  at 
St.  Mary's  at  Keweenaw  Bay,  on  Lake  Superior,  and  at 
Green  Bay. 

Marquette  was  stationed,  at  first,  for  two  years,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Saguenay — a  most  strange  river  that  pours 
nearly  a  fathomless  tide  into  the  shallower  St.  Lawrence. 
That  was  not  more  important  as  a  mission  than  as  a 
place  of  traffic  with  the  Indians ;  who,  since  the  war  was 
over,  yearly  flocked  to  it  from  Nova  Scotia,  from  Hud- 
son's Bay,  and  from  Lake  Superior.  During  the  season 
for  trading,  religious  instruction  alternated  with  sharp 
bargains.  .  The  twists  which  conscience  received  in  the 
daytime  could  hardly  be  taken  out  by  a  few  hours'  devo- 


46  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

tion  in  the  evening.  The  missionaries,  however,  managed 
their  affairs  with  great  prudence,  mollifying  the  irritated 
feelings  of  the  Indians,  and  rebuking  the  rapacity  of  the 
traders.  Much  of  human  nature  in  its  wildest  aspects 
was  to  have  been  learned  there,  as  well  as  the  Indian 
languages,  and  a  general  knowledge  of  the  surrounding 
country. 

At  the  conclusion  of  that  period,  Marquette  had  been 
ordered  to  Lake  Superior.  In  going  there,  he  followed 
up  the  usual  route  of  the  western  missionaries,  ascend- 
ing the  Ottawa  River,  thence  down  the  French  River  to 
Lake  Huron,  and  across  that  lake  to  St.  Mary's.  It  was 
both  a  toilsome  and  a  dangerous  journey.  At  St.  Mary's, 
Marquette  built  his  cabin  on  the  American  side,  just  at 
the  foot  of  the  rapids,  where  he  continued  instructing  the 
Indians  that  were  returning  from  their  long  flight  from 
the  Iroquois,  until  after  Allouez'  departure  for  Green  Bay, 
and  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  Rivers. 

Marquette  had  been  dispatched,  next  after  that,  to  La- 
pointe,  the  most  distant  mission  on  Lake  Superior,  and 
also  the  most  dangerous.  There  he  added  considerably 
to  the  information  which  he  had  already  obtained  respect- 
ing the  Mississippi.  The  occasion  of  a  visit  from  some 
Illinois  Indians,  who  had  come  a  thirty-days'  journey 
from  the  south,  by  land,  and  some  part  of  the  way  along 
that  river,  afforded  him  an  excellent  opportunity  for  pros- 
ecuting his  inquiries.  They  told  him  that  that  river  ran 
so  far  to  the  south  that  they  did  not  know  where  it  might 
terminate.  They  described  a  portion  of  the  Missouri 
also,  and  named  over  various  tribes  on  both  those  rivers, 
even  so  far  down  as  those  that  raised  two  crops  of  corn 
in  a  single  summer.  All  these  things  Marquette  had  care- 
fully written  down,  and  he  had  begun  digesting  a  plan 
for  exploring  the  whole  course  of  the  Mississippi,  and 


MISSION   OF   LAPOINTE.  47 

would  have  set  out  alone.  But  the  mission  at  Lapointe 
was  a  disastrous  one,  and  had  to  be  abandoned,  soon 
after  that,  in  consequence  of  a  threatened  inroad  of  the 
Dacotahs,  a  fierce  race,  with  long,  black,  streaming  hair, 
and  who  wore  stone  knives  in  their  belts.  The  poor 
Christian  Indians,  who  had  been  driven,  years  before, 
across  the  Mississippi  by  the  Iroquois,  were  now  driven 
back  again  across  Lake  Superior  by  the  Dacotahs. 
Making  their  escape  in  a  fleet  of  canoes,  they  reached  the 
foot  of  the  lake,  and  from  thence  went  down  to  Michili- 
mackinac,  and  established  themselves  on  the  northern 
shore  of  those  straits. 

A  mission  had  been  attempted  the  previous  year  on 
the  neighboring  island  of  that  name,  but  it  had  become 
deserted.  The  spot  which  Marquette  had  there  selected 
as  a  new  home  for  his  flock  was,  indeed,  bleak  and  ster- 
ile, surrounded  by  tempestuous  lakes;  but  the  waters 
were  teeming  with  fish,  and  would  afford  them  an  easy 
communication  with  all  the  other  missions.  A  rude 
chapel  of  logs  was  speedily  erected,  its  roof  covered 
over  with  bark.  The  Indians  built,  near  by,  a  palisade 
fort,  as  an  additional  security  against  the  danger  of  being 
again  dislodged  by  their  enemies.  There  they  have 
remained  to  this  day.  The  mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  at 
Michilimackinac,  was  founded  in  the  summer  of  1672. 
And  it  was  while  engaged  in  laying  the  foundation  of 
that  mission  that  Marquette  received  the  joyful  intelli- 
gence that  the  government  was  preparing  an  expedition 
to  the  Mississippi,  and  that  he  had  been  appointed  to 
accompany  it. 

Joliet,  however,  did  not  arrive  there,  on  his  way  from 
Quebec,  until  late  in  the  fall,  when  the  navigation  of  the 
lakes  was  about  closing ;  but  he  brought  with  him  the 
commissions,  and  the  instructions  to  proceed,  as  soon  as 


48  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

it  should  become  practicable,  to  the  Mississippi,  and 
explore  its  waters.  He  was  received  at  Michilimackinac 
with  rejoicings,  and  much  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  for 
the  great  favor  conferred  on  them  of  being  sent  to  open 
the  way  into  a  new  region,  reputed  to  be  filled  with 
marvels  and  wonders.  The  succeeding  winter  was  spent 
in  making  preparations  for  the  great  journey,  which  was 
to  immortalize  their  names,  and  by  its  results  affect  the 
destiny  of  nations.  All  that  before  then  had  become 
known  concerning  the  Mississippi,  and  the  country  and 
nations  along  its  banks,  was  carefully  reviewed.  The 
various  rumors  that  had  reached  the  different  missions, 
fromLapointeto  the  Illinois,  were  rigidly  scrutinized,  and 
compared  with  the  reports  of  the  Christian  Indians,  many 
of  whom  had  crossed  over  the  plains  as  far  as  the  Mis- 
souri. Those  wanderers  were  gathered  into  Marquette's 
cabin,  and  questioned  as  to  what  they  had  seen  and 
heard  in  that  distant  country.  The  figurative  language 
of  the  Indians  had  to  be  stripped  of  its  exuberant  meta- 
phors, and  reduced  into  harmony  with  well-known  facts 
respecting  other  rivers  and  other  countries.  And  there,  in 
that  gloomy  abode  in  the  center  of  the  North  American 
wilderness,  in  midwinter,  Marquette  and  Joliet  drew  upon 
the  ground,  for  want  of  a  table,  the  first  rude  map  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  the  water-courses  that  might  lead 
to  it.  The  spectacle  must  have  been  sublime,  of  those 
two  solitary  white  men,  kneeling  within  a  tawny  circle  cf 
wondering  Indians,  and  planning  out  the  most  important 
discovery  of  that  agev 

When  at  length  the  dissolving  snows  indicated  the 
near  approach  of  the  season  for  lake  and  river  navigation, 
they  set  about  providing  the  more  material  and  substantial 
parts  of  their  outfit.  The  Canadian  canoe  is  constructed 
very  differently  from  those  canoes  which  were  in  use 


THE    CANADIAN    CANOE.  49 

on  the  Hudson  and  the  Delaware,  and  which  may  now 
occasionally  be  seen  on  our  western  and  southern  waters. 
The  latter  is  more  properly  called  a  "dug-out" — the  name 
by  which  it  is  known  throughout  the  south-west.  The 
Canadian  canoe  consists  of  a  frame-work  of  slender  cedar 
splints,  running  lengthwise  from  stem  to  stern,  supported 
upon  ribs  of  spruce,  and  encased  in  a  covering  of  birch 
bark,  which  is  securely  fastened  with  fibrous  roots,  and 
smeared  along  the  seams  with  pitch.  It  possesses  suffi- 
cient strength,  and,  at  the  same  time,  is  so  light  that  it 
may  easily  be  carried  across  portages  on  the  shoulders  of 
two  men ;  and  it  may  be  paddled  through  smooth  water 
at  the  rate  of  four  or  five  miles  an  hour.  The  Canadian 
canoe  sits  gracefully  on  the  water,  and,  at  a  little  distance 
off,  seems  scarcely  to  touch  the  surface ;  but  it  is  a  lively 
craft,  and  has  the  reputation  of  being  tricky  with  stran- 
gers. A  novice  stepping  into  it  might  find  himself 
suddenly  plumped  into  the  water. 

3  D 


50  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

CHAPTER  III. 

EXPLORATION    OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 

Departure  from  Michilimackinac —  Wild  oats  —  The  tide  at  Green 
Bay  —  Ascending  the  Fox  River — Indian  village  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Winnebago  —  Wisconsin  River  —  Its  peculiarities  —  Joy  at 
reaching  the  Mississippi  —  Strange  fish  —  The  abundance  of 
game  —  Foot-prints  on  the  shore  —  Discover  an  Indian  village  — 
Council  —  Feast  of  corn  meal,  fish,  and  boiled  dog  —  Presented 
•with  a  calumet  —  A  strange  plant  —  Monsters  painted  on  a  rock  — 
Frightful  appearance  of  the  water  at  the  junction  of  the  Mis- 
souri—  Clay  paint  —  Indian  method  of  dealing  with  musquitoes  — 
"Snags"  and  "Sawyers"  —  Arkansas  Indians  —  Return  up  the 
Mississippi  and  Illinois — Portage  to  Chicago  —  Arrival  at  Green 
Bay  —  James  Marquette  sets  out  on  a  return  to  Chicago,  to  instruct 
the  Illinois  Indians  —  Is  detained  all  winter  at  the  portage  by  sick- 
ness —  Reaches  the  Illinois  country  in  April,  and  founds  a  mis- 
sion —  His  malady  increasing,  he  sets  out  on  his  return  to  Michili- 
mackinac—  Driven  by  westerly  winds  to  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Joseph's  —  Becomes  too  weak  to  proceed  —  Expires  on  a  bed  of 
boughs,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 

ON  the  seventeenth  day  of  May,  1673,  M.  Joliet  and 
James  Marquette  set  out  from  Michilimackinac  in  two 
bark  canoes,  to  explore  the  Mississippi  River.  They 
were  accompanied  from  that  place  by  five  men.  The 
whole  stock  of  provisions  for  the  voyage  consisted  of 
Indian  corn  and  some  dried  meat.  But  they  were  firmly 
resolved  to  do  all  and  suffer  all  for  so  glorious  an  enter- 
prise. Marquette  says,  in  his  narrative,  "Our  joy  at 
being  chosen  for  this  expedition  roused  our  courage,  and 
sweetened  the  labor  of  rowing  from  morning  till  night." 

They  made  their  paddles  play  merrily  along  the  straits, 
and  across  Lake  Michigan  and  Green  Bay,  to  the  mouth 


THE   TIDE   AT   GREEN   BAT.  51 

of  the  Menominee  River,  then  called  the  Wild  Oats, 
from  the  quantities  of  that  grass  growing  in  its  vicinity; 
where  they  remained  several  days  with  the  Indians,  who 
had  taken  their,  name,  also,  from  the  river. 

The  wild  oats,  or  wild  rice,  as  it  is  now  called,  is 
the  principal  food  of  the  north-western  Indians,  and  might 
be  raised  in  all  parts  of  the  country  where  there  are 
rivers  that  annually  overflow  the  rich  bottom-lands.  The 
experiment  was  tried  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  a  few 
years  ago,  and  proved  to  be  successful.  The  wild  oats 
are  a  kind  of  grass  which  grows  spontaneously,  at  the 
"West,  in  little  rivers  with  slimy  bottoms,  and  in  marshy 
places.  They  resemble  the  wild  oats  that  grow  up 
among  our  wheat.  In  the  month  of  June,  the  stalks, 
which  are  jointed  at  intervals,  begin  to  shoot  up  through 
the  water,  and  continue  growing  till  they  float  about  two 
feet  above  it.  The  grains  are  not  thicker  than  our  oats, 
but  are  as  long  again,  so  that  the  meal  is  much  more 
abundant.  The  wild  oats  ripen  in  September.  The 
Indians  boil  the  grains  in  water  with  meat  or  grease,  and 
in  this  way  they  make  a  dish  about  as  palatable  as  rice 
would  be  when  not  better  seasoned. 

The  voyagers  then  proceeded  up  to  the  head  of  Green 
Bay,  where,  Marquette  says,  "It  is  easy  to  remark  the 
tide,  which  has  its  regular  flow  and  ebb,  almost  like  that 
of  the  sea."  This  tidal  movement  has  been  frequently 
observed  at  that  place,  and  it  may  be  accounted  for  by 
the  pressure  of  the  winds  upon  the  distant  parts  of  Lake 
Michigan,  making  the  waters  to  rise  and  fall  along  the 
shores  of  Green  Bay.  From  thence  they  ascended  the 
Fox  River  to  Lake  Winnebago,  and  in  doing  so,  their 
feet  were  very  much  cut  by  the  sharp  stones,  while  drag- 
ging their  canoes  up  through  the  rapids  of  that  river. 
They  stopped  some  time  at  the  Indian  village,  which  was 


52  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

built  on  a  bill,  overlooking  the  lake  and  a  beautiful  and 
picturesque  country.  On  every  side,  the  prairies  spread 
out  as  far  as  they  could  see,  and  were  dotted  with  groves 
of  lofty  trees. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  June,  they  again  embarked,  with 
two  Miamis  for  guides  to  the  portage  between  the  Fox 
and  the  Wisconsin  rivers,  and  set  out,  in  sight  of  a  great 
crowd  of  Indians,  who  were  wondering  and  amazed  to 
see  the  Frenchmen  daring  to  undertake  so  strange  and  so 
hazardous  an  expedition.  The  distance  to  the  Wisconsin 
was  already  known  from  the  explorations  of  Nicolet  and 
Allouez.  The  course  bore  by  compass  west-south-west; 
but  the  river  branched  off  through  so  many  marshes  and 
little  lakes,  and  the  channel  was  so  concealed  by  the  wild 
oats,  that  it  was  easy  to  have  gone  astray.  But  the 
guides  led  them  safely  to  a  portage,  twenty-seven  hun- 
dred paces  across,  helped  them  over  with  the  canoes,  and 
then  returned  to  Lake  Winnebago,  leaving  the  voyagers 
alone  in  an  unknown  country,  in  the  hands  of  Providence. 

Marquette  and  Joliet  were  soon  afloat  upon  the  waters 
of  the  Wisconsin  River.  They  had  got  to  the  westward 
of  the  streams  which  flow  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
were  passing  quietly  down  with  a  current  that  was  bear- 
ing them  still  further  into  the  wilderness.  They  found  the 
Wisconsin  to  be  a  broad  river,  its  sandy  bottom  having 
formed  into  shallows,  which  rendered  navigation  difficult. 
It  was  filled  with  little  islands,  that  were  grown  up 
to  shrubbery  and  covered  with  vines;  and  the  long 
branches  bent  over  from  the  shores,  and  trailed  in  the 
water.  Along  the  banks  were,  sometimes,  woodland  and 
hills,  but  more  generally  prairies.  They  saw  no  fish  in 
that  river.  The  timber  consisted  of  oak,  walnut,  white- 
wood,  and  another  kind  of  tree  whose  branches  were 
armed  with  long  thorns.  Deer  were  plenty,  and  they 


THE  ABUNDANCE   OF   GAME.  53 

would  frequently  spring  out  of  the  island  covers,  and 
dash  and  splurge  through  the  water  to  the  shore,  and 
then  hound  away,  their  white  stub-tails  teetering  up  and 
down  in  the  air,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  follow  them. 

On  the  seventeenth  day  of  June,  just  one  month  after 
they  had  left  Michilimackinac,  the  voyagers  passed  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  "Wisconsin  into  the  long-looked-for 
Mississippi.  Great  was  their  joy  at  beholding  the  broad 
sweep  of  its  waters.  They  immediately  cast  their  nets, 
and  took  some  sturgeon,  and  a  very  extraordinary  fish, 
which  Marquette  describes  as  follows :  "  It  resembles  a 
trout  with  this  difference,  that  it  has  a  larger  mouth,  but 
smaller  eyes  and  snout.  Near  the  latter  is  a  large  bone 
like  a  woman's  busk,  three  fingers  wide,  and  a  cubit  long 
the  end  is  circular,  and  as  wide  as  the  hand.  In  leaping 
out  of  the  water,  the  weight  of  this  often  throws  it  back." 
This  was  the  polyodon  spatula,— a.  very  rare  fish,  and  but 
seldom  found  in  the  Mississippi. 

Following  down  the  river,  for  a  day  or  two,  the  land 
appeared  to  have  undergone  an  entire  change.  There 
was  almost  no  wood  to  be  seen  anywhere.  Deer  were  to 
be  met  with,  and  moose,  bustards  and  wingless  swans ; 
for  those  latter  are  said  to  shed  their  plumes  in  that 
country.  They  saw  a  great  many  enormous  fish,  with 
black,  broad,  ugly  heads ;  and  one  of  these  struck  against 
the  canoe  so  violently  that  Marquette  took  it  for  a  large 
tree  about  to  knock  them  to  pieces.  It  was  undoubtedly 
a  huge  catfish  on  which  they  were  so  nearly  snagged. 
The  voyagers  soon  came  into  the  region  of  wild  turkeys 
and  buffaloes.  All  other  game  had  disappeared.  The 
turkeys  would  sometimes  fly  in  vast  flocks  across  the 
river,  when  those  that  became  weary  with  the  flight 
would  tumble  into  the  water.  A  number  were  obtained 
in  that  way.  "With  the  buffaloes  the  Frenchmen  were 


54  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

very  much  interested.  They  saw  immense  droves  of 
them  every  day,  trampling  and  bellowing  along  the  banks. 
The  voyagers  had  floated  down  with  the  current  sev- 
eral hundred  miles,  without  discovering  anything  more 
dangerous  than  beasts  and  birds.  Yet,  they  kept  well  on 
their  guard;  making  only  a  little  fire  on  the  shore  at 
night,  to  cook  their  meal ;  and  then,  anchoring  the  canoes 
far  out  in  the  river,  they  took  turns  watching  and  sleeping 
on  the  water.  At  length,  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  June, 
they  perceived  some  foot-prints  of  men  by  the  water-side, 
and  a  beaten  path  entering  a  beautiful  prairie.  Following 
along  that  path  four  or  five  miles,  they  came  to  a  large 
village  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  and  were  there  received  by 
them  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  A  council  had  to  be 
held,  as  is  usual  upon  the  arrival  of  strangers  into  a 
country  occupied  by  a  particular  tribe  of  Indians.  Speeches 
were  then  made  and  replied  to,  presents  given,  and  presents 
received.  The  council  was  succeeded  by  a  feast ;  and  the 
Indians,  being  the  hosts,  got  it  up  and  conducted  it  after 
their  own  fashion.  The  Frenchmen  were  the  passive  reci- 
pients of  the  savage  favors.  The  first  course  consisted  of  a 
great  wooden  dish,  full  of  corn-meal,  boiled  in  water,  and 
seasoned  with  grease.  The  master  of  the  ceremonies,  with 
a  spoonful  of  that  greasy  pudding,  presented  it  three  or 
four  times  in  succession  to  the  mouths  of  the  guests,  as 
we  would  do  with  little  children.  For  the  second  course, 
he  brought  in  a  second  dish,  containing  three  fish,  and 
took  some  pains  to  remove  the  bones  with  his  fingers ;  and 
having  blown  upon  it  to  cool  it,  he  put  it  into  their 
mouths,  as  we  would  do  in  feeding  young  birds.  The 
third  course  was  boiled  dog;  but  that  was  going  beyond 
even  French  capacity  to  eat,  of  all  living  creatures,  and 
had  to  be  withdrawn,  as  M.  Joliet  had  discovered  an 
entrail  dangling  from  the  kettle.  The  fourth,  and  last 


PRESENTED   WITH   A    CALUMET.  55 

course,  was  a  piece  of  buffalo-beef,  the  fattest  portions  of 
which  were  put  into  their  mouths  on  the  end  of  a  stick. 
After  the  feast  came  the  process  of  lionizing ;  which,  also, 
was  conducted  after  the  Indian  mode.  The  guests  had 
to  march  slowly  through  the  whole  length  of  the  village, 
and  back  again,  an  orator  stepping  along  just  before  them, 
constantly  haranguing  and  gesticulating,  to  oblige  all  to 
come  out  and  see  them,  without  being  troublesome. 

These  Indians  gave  to  the  Frenchmen  an  additional 
evidence  of  their  kindly  disposition,  in  presenting  them 
with  a  beautiful  calumet,  or  pipe,  to  carry  with  them,  as  a 
means  of  security  against  Indian  violence.  The  calumet 
is  said  to  have  been  highly  reverenced  by  the  aborigines 
of  America.  Whoever  carried  it  might  have  walked 
fearlessly  amid  enemies,  and  they  would  have  lain  down 
their  arms  so  soon  as  it  had  been  shown  to  them.  Mar- 
quette  gives  a  description  of  it :  "  It  is  made  of  polished 
red  stone,  like  marble ;  so  pierced,  that  one  end  serves  to 
hold  the  tobacco,  while  the  other  is  fastened  on  the  stem, 
which  is  a  stick  two  feet  long,  as  thick  as  a  common  cane, 
and  pierced  in  the  middle.  It  is  ornamented  with  the 
head  and  neck  of  different  birds  of  beautiful  plumage. 
They  also  add  large  feathers  of  red,  green,  and  other 
colors,  with  which  it  is  all  covered.  They  esteem  it  par- 
ticularly, because  they  regard  it  as  the  calumet  of  the 
sun ;  and,  in  fact,  they  present  it  to  him  to  smoke,  when 
they  wish  to  obtain  a  calm,  or  rain,  or  fair  weather." 

The  voyagers  took  leave  of  the  Illinois  Indians  about 
the  end  of  June,  some  six  hundred  accompanying  them 
to  the  river-bank,  and  very  much  admiring  the  canoes, 
having  never  before  seen  the  like  of  them.  Marquette 
promised  these  Indians  to  return  the  next  year,  and  stop 
at  their  village  and  instruct  them.  Soon  after  shoving 
off  from  the  shore,  the  canoes  began  to  float  down  along 


56  THE    GIIEAT   WEST. 

some  pretty  high  rocks  which  lined  the  river;  and  there 
the  company  paused  to  examine  a  plant  which  seemed  to 
them  to  be  very  remarkable.  Its  root  was  like  small  tur- 
nips, linked  together  by  little  fibers,  and  it  had  the  taste 
of  carrots.  This  root  put  forth  a  leaf  as  wide  as  the 
hand,  half  the  thickness  of  one's  finger,  and  spotted  along 
the  middle.  From  that  leaf  sprung  other  leaves,  shaped 
like  the  sockets  of  the  old-fashioned  chandeliers;  and 
each  leaf  bore  five  or  six  bell-shaped  yellow  flowers. 
That  was,  probably,  the  cactus  opuntia,  several  species 
of  which  are  known  to  grow  in  the  western  states.  They 
also  found  an  abundance  of  mulberries  and  persimmons; 
and  they  were  quite  disgusted  with  the  latter  tree,  on 
account  of  its  shocking  bad  smell.  The  prairies  there 
abounded  with  the  chincapin,  a  fruit  resembling  filberts, 
but  more  tender;  the  leaves  were  larger,  and  sprung  from 
a  stalk  crowned  at  the  top  with  a  head  like  a  sunflower, 
in  which  all  those  nuts  were  neatly  arranged. 
.  A  little  further  down  the-  river,  as  they  were  coasting 
along  rocks  frightful  for  their  hight  and  length,  they 
saw  two  monsters  painted  on  one  of  those  rocks,  which 
startled  them  at  first,  and  made  the  boldest  Indian  cover 
his  head  with  his  blanket.  These  monsters  were  each  as 
large  as  a  calf,  with  horns  on  the  head  like  a  deer:  they 
had  a  fearful  look,  red  eyes,  and  were  bearded  like  a  tiger; 
the  face  was  like  a  man's  face,  the  body  covered  with 
scales,  and  the  tail  so  long  that  it  wound  twice  around 
the  body,  passed  over  the  head  and  down  between  the 
legs,  and  ended  like  a  fish.  These  monsters  were  well 
painted;  and  they  were  so  high  up  on  the  face  of  the  rock 
that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  anybody  could  have  got 
at  them  to  paint  them.  The  pictured  rock  is  still  a  noted 
feature  of  the  Mississippi. 

As  the  voyagers  were  discoursing  of   these  painted 


MONSTERS    PAINTED    ON   THE    ROCK.  57 

monsters,  and  sailing  gently  down  a  beautiful,  still,  clear 
water,  they  heard  a  roaring  noise,  as  of  a  great  rapid, 
into  which  they  were  about  to  fall.  Marquette  says  of  it : 
"  I  have  seen  nothing  more  frightful.  A  mass  of  trees, 
entire,  with  branches,  came  rushing  from  the  mouth  of  a 
great  river  so  impetuously  that  we  could  not,  without 
great  danger,  expose  ourselves  to  pass  across.  The  agi- 
tation was  so  great  that  the  water  was  all  muddy,  and 
could  not  get  clear."  They,  at  length,  by  hugging  the 
shore,  got  by  the  horrible  tumult  occasioned  by  the  com- 
mingling of  the  turbulent  floods. of  the  Missouri  with  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi.  The  junction  of  these  rivers 
continues  to  present  pretty  much  the  same  appearance 
and  the  same  dangers  as  were  then,  for  the  first  time,  seen 
by  white  men.  Acres  of  drifting  timber,  supplied  by 
rafts  from  above,  keep  on  clashing,  and  roaring,  and  spin- 
ning round  in  the  whirlpool  formed  by  the  rushing  waters. 
Before  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  'explorers 
came  upon  a  place  in  the  river  that  was  much  dreaded 
by  the  Indians,  because  they  thought  a  demon  was  living 
there,  that  would  devour  all  who  should  attempt  to  pass 
that  way.  At  that  place  there  was  a  bay  full  of  rocks, 
some  of  which  were  twenty  feet  high;  and  the  whole  cur- 
rent, striking  against  them,  was  whirled  back,  and  driven 
over  against  a  neighboring  island,  along  which  the  mass 
of  water  was  forced,  tumbling  and  roaring,  through  a  nar- 
row channel.  That  was  what  struck  terror  into  the 
Indians,  "who,"  as  Marquette  says,  "fear  everything." 
Just  above  the  Ohio  River,  they  found  in  great  quantities 
a  kind  of  unctuous  eartb,  of  different  colors,  purple,  violet, 
and  red.  That  spot  has  always  been  a  favorite  resort  of 
the  Indians,  to  obtain  the  clay  with  which  they  paint 
themselves.  There,  also,  they  found  a  heavy  red  sand, 
and  Marquette  put  some  of  it  on  his  paddle,  which  took 
3* 


58  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

the  color  so  well  that  it  was  not  effaced  after  fifteen  days' 
rowing  in  the  water.  About  this  time  they  began  to 
enter  the  region  of  canes  or  large  reeds  lining  the  banks 
of  the  river.  These  were  of  a  beautiful  green  —  the 
knots  or  joints  crowned  with  long,  narrow,  pointed  leaves. 
The  canes  were  set  so  thickly  that  the  buffaloes  could, 
with  difficulty,  force  their  way  through  them.  And  in 
that  vicinity  they,  one  morning,  saw  a  strange  animal 
swimming  across.  It  had  the  head  of  a  tiger,  and  a  snout 
pointed  like  a  wildcat,  with  a  beard,  and  ears  that  were 
erect.  Its  head  was  grayish,  and  the  neck  black.  On 
approaching  nearer,  and  slapping  the  water  with  the  pad- 
dles, the  creature  sprang  briskly  forward,  spitting  furiously 
like  a  scared  cat. 

So  far,  down  the  river,  the  voyagers  had  gone,  without 
meeting  with  any  very  serious  annoyance  to  distract 
them,  and  withdraw  their  attention  from  the  beautiful  and 
varied  scenery  of  the  country.  But  now  the  air  was  alive 
with  musquitoes;  so  that  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  handle 
the  paddles,  because  of  the  continued  slapping  and  brush- 
ing away  the  pestiferous  swarms.  The  more  that  were 
killed  the  more  there  seemed  to  come.  The  musquitoes 
got  into  the  ears,  and  around  the  neck  ;  dashed  into  the 
eyes,  and  hair,  and  mouth ;  crawled  up  the  shirt  sleeves, 
bit  through  the  breeches.  Indeed,  it  was  quite  impossible 
to  look,  or  talk,  or  eat,  or  sleep,  with  any  degree  of  com- 
fort. A  prayerful  state  of  mind  was  out  of  the  question. 
So,  to  escape  the  tormentors,  they  rolled  themselves  up 
in  thick  blankets,  legs,  bodies,  heads,  and  faces,  till  nearly 
suffocated ;  then,  as  a  change,  took  to  fresh  air  and  bites ; 
and  when  the  stings  became  intolerable,  went  back  again 
to  sweltering  blankets. 

Marquette  gives  a  minute  description  of  the  Indian 
method,  in  that  country,  of  dealing  with  the  musquitoes : 


SNAGS   AND   SAWYERS.  59 

"  They  raise  a  scaffolding,  the  floor  of  which  is  made  of 
simple  poles,  and  consequently  a  mere  grate-work,  to  give 
passage  to  the  smoke  of  a  fire  which  they  build  under- 
neath. This  drives  off  the  little  animals,  as  they  can  not 
bear  it.  The  Indians  sleep  on  the  poles,  having  pieces  of 
bark  stretched  above  them  to  keep  off  the  rain.  This 
scaffolding  shelters  them,  too,  from  the  excessive  and 
insupportable  heat  of  the  country ;  for  they  lie  in  the  shade 
in  the  lower  story,  and  enjoy  the  cool  air,  which  passes 
freely  through  the  scaffold."  After  the  same  plan  the 
voyagers  lashed  their  canoes  together,  and  made  a  rude 
cabin  of  the  sails  to  keep  off  the  musquitoes,  and  shelter 
themselves  from  the  sun.  In  this  manner,  shut  in  from 
the  light  and  from  the  view  around  them,  they  floated 
down  the  river  blindfolded ;  peering  out  once  in  awhile, 
to  see  what  might  be  ahead. 

Sailing  along  thus  at  the  mercy  of  the  current,  they  one 
day  came  upon  some  Indians,  and  learned  from  them  that 
it  was  not  more  than  ten  days'  journey  further  to  the  sea. 
This  news  aroused  their  courage  again,  and  they  took  up 
their  paddles  with  renewed  ardor,  and  passed  swiftly  down 
the  river.  They  soon  began  to  see  less  prairie-land,  be- 
cause both  the  banks  were  lined  with  lofty  woods.  The 
cotton-wood,  elm,  and  whitewood,  were  of  enormous  hight 
and  size.  But  the  numbers  of  buffaloes  they  heard  bel- 
lowing made  them  believe  the  prairies  were  not  far  off. 
They  heard  the  quails  whistling  along  the  water's  edge ; 
and  they  killed  a  little  parrot,  with  half  the  head  red,  the 
rest,  with  the  neck,  yellow,  and  the  body  green. 

The  greatest  danger,  however,  which  was  constantly 
present  to  the  minds  of  the  voyagers,  in  this  part  of  the 
river,  was  occasioned  by  the  snags  and  sawyers.  Vast 
tracts  of  fertile  land  along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  annually  cave  into  those  streams,  unloosing 


60  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

thousands  of  forest  trees,  which  are  by  this  means  set 
adrift.  Some  of  these  gigantic  trees,  swept  along  down 
with  the  floods,  become  fastened  in  the  deep  channel,  with 
their  trunks  pointing  up  stream ;  and  then,  shedding  their 
lesser  branches,  they  present  the  long,  formidable  shafts, 
known  as  "snags,"  in  river  navigation  at  the  West.  Other 
trees,  again,  become  fixed  in  the  current,  with  their  trunks 
pointing  down  stream.  The  rolling  flood  forces  them 
under,  until  the  bending  roots  overcome  the  unequal  pres- 
sure, and  then  the  huge  top  slowly  rises  above  the  surface, 
shakes  its  dripping  limbs,  to  disappear  again  for  awhile  in 
the  depths  below.  Those  latter  are  the  much-dreaded 
"sawyers,"  the  terror  of  the  early  navigators  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  for  the  large  swaying  trunks  might  rise  directly 
beneath  the  canoe  or  skiff,  and  give  it  an  uncomfortable 
elevation  into  the  air. 

At  last  the  voyagers  had  gone  down  stream  as  far  as 
the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  Eiver.  They  were  received 
in  a  friendly  manner,  and  entertained  by  the  Indians  that 
lived  along  its  banks,  who  had  corn  in  abundance,  but 
little  meat ;  not  daring  to  hunt  buffaloes  on  account  of  the 
large  war-parties  of  their  enemies  scouring  the  prairies. 
These  Indians  were  raising,  in  that  warm  climate,  three 
crops  of  corn  a  year.  Marquette  says  :  "  We  saw  some 
ripe,  more  just  sprouting,  and  more  still  in  the  milk."  The 
Arkansas  Indians  used  large,  well-made  earthen  pots,  for 
cooking ;  and  they  had  plates  also  made  of  baked  earth. 
The  men  were  entirely  naked,  wore  their  hair  cut  short, 
their  noses  and  ears  pierced  and  strung  with  beads.  The 
women  were  dressed  in  wretched  skins,  and  without  orna- 
ments to  adorn  their  persons.  They  had  about  their 
cabins,  which  were  built  of  rush  mats,  enormous  gourds, 
as  large  as  half  barrels,  for  storing  corn.  The  Arkansas 
Indians  were  in  possession  of  fire-arms,  having  obtained 


'/ 

RETURN    UP   THE   MISSISSIPPI   EIVER.  61 

them  from  the  Spaniards  at  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
which  was  but  eight  days'  journey,  by  water,  below  them. 

Joliet  and  Marquette  had  then  ascertained  where  the 
Mississippi  emptied.  They  had  explored  it  from  the 
Wisconsin  to  the  Arkansas.  The  general  course  of  the 
river  was  due  south,  and  they  were  far  below  the  latitude 
of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  to  the  east  of  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. By  going  further  down  they  would  have  risked 
losing  the  fruits  of  their  voyage,  of  which  they  could 
have  given  no  information ;  for  the  Spaniards,  claiming  the 
whole  country  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  were  excess- 
ively jealous  of  strangers,  and  would  undoubtedly  have 
detained  them  close  prisoners.  It  was  deemed  advisable, 
therefore,  to  return  to  Quebec.  Having  been  nearly  one 
month  upon  the  river,  they  left  the  Arkansas,  for  the 
north,  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  July.  It  is  of  no  con- 
sequence, but,  after  all,  a  little  curious,  that  they  should 
have  taken  their  departure  from  Michilimackinac  on  the 
seventeenth  day  of  May,  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wis- 
consin on  the  seventeenth  day  of  June,  and  set  out  upon 
their  return  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  July. 

Now,  in  going  up  stream,  the  explorers  had  to  contend 
against  the  current  of  the  Mississippi,  which  ran  at  the 
rate  of  from  three  to  five  miles  per  hour.  Every  inch  of 
progress  had  to  be  made  by  incessant  rowing.  At  length 
they  succeeded  in  getting  as  high  up  as  the  Illinois  River, 
which,  perceiving  that  it  came  from  the  north-east,  they 
entered,  and  followed  it  to  the  portage  which  led  to  Chi- 
cago. Crossing  over  to  Lake  Michigan,  they  arrived  at 
Green  Bay  in  the  September  following.  In  all  their 
travels,  they  had  seen  nothing  to  compare  with  the  Illi- 
nois country,  for  the  fertility  of  its  lands,  its  prairies,  woods, 
buffaloes,  deer,  swans,  and  ducks.  The  river  had  many 
little  lakes  and  branches,  and  was  navigable  its  whole 


62  THE    GREAT  WEST. 

length.    During  the  spring  of  the  year,  the  only  portage 
was  one  of  one  and  a  half  miles. 

Thus  the  greater  part  of  the  Mississippi  was  already 
explored.  For  De  Soto,  crossing  it  from  the  east  through 
the  country  of  the  Choctaws,  and  wandering  for  a  year  in 
Louisiana,  Texas,  and  New  Mexico,  had  returned  to  it 
in  1542,  by  the  Arkansas  Eiver;  and  there  dying,  his 
body  had  been  committed  to  its  waters.  A  hundred  and 
thirty-one  years  later,  Joliet  and  Marquette  had  com- 
pleted their  memorable  voyage.  All,  therefore,  below  the 
Wisconsin  was  known.  In  1680,  Louis  Hennepin,  a 
prisoner  among  the  Sioux,  was  taken  up  the  Mississippi 
to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  ;  and  upon  his  release,  he  re- 
turned by  the  way  of  the  Wisconsin  River.  One  hundred  and 
fifty  years  after  Hennepin's  captivity,  the  United  States 
government  commissioned  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  to  put 
an  end  to  the  war  then  raging  between  the  Chippewas 
and  Sioux.  In  the  performance  of  that  mission,  he 
crossed  over  from  Lake  Superior  and  the  St.  Louis  River ; 
and,  following  up  the  Mississippi,  discovered  its  source 
in  Itasca  Lake.  Three  different  nations  participated  in 
the  exploration  of  that  great  river,  and  their  attempts 
extended  through  a  period  of  three  centuries. 

But  it  will  be  interesting  a  little  longer  to  follow  the 
fortunes  of  M.  Joliet  and  James  Marquette.  Both  of 
them  had  written  complete  narratives  of  their  expeditions, 
and  prepared  maps  of  the  countries  they  had  visited.  But 
the  former,  on  his  way  to  Quebec,  in  October,  1673,  was 
capsized  among  the  Rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  losing  all 
his  papers,  and  only  himself  escaping,  as  by  a  miracle, 
swimming,  and  reaching  the  bank  in  a  state  of  insensibility. 
He  made  a  verbal  report,  which  he  wrote  out  for  the 
government,  and  dispatched  it  to  France,  together  with  a 
map,  drawn  from  recollection,  and  was  waiting  in  hopes  of 
receiving  a  suitable  reward  for  his  distinguished  services. 


DEATH  OF  JAMES  MARQUETTE.        63 

Doomed  to  disappointment,  he  was  put  off,  as  if  in  mockery, 
•with  the  barren  island  of  Anticosti,  in  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  ;  and  that  was  captured  and  taken  from  him  by 
the  English.  -His  subsequent  career  is  lost  in  obscurity, 
and  even  the  place  of  his  death  is  unknown. 

James  Marquette  was  detained  at  Green  Bay  the  whole 
season  of  1674,  by  a  dysentery,  brought  on  by  the  hard- 
ships which  he  had  suffered  during  the  voyage.  Recov- 
ering a  little  toward  the  close  of  the  succeeding  summer, 
he  proceeded  up  Lake  Michigan  to  Chicago,  intending  to 
fulfill  his  promise  to  the  Illinois  Indians,  to  return  and 
instruct  them.  But  tempestuous  weather  kept  him  a 
month  along  the  lake ;  and  his  malady  returning,  he  was 
obliged  to  remain  all  winter  at  the  portage,  prostrate  with 
sickness,  and  without  medical  attendance.  It  was  not 
until  in  April  that  he  was  able  to  reach  'the  Illinois 
country ;  and,  although  in  feeble  health,  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  mission  at  Kaskaskia.  His  malady,  however, 
increasing  in  violence,  made  it  indispensable  that  he  should 
return  to  Michiliinackinac.  He  set  out  in  a  canoe  with 
two  companions.  But  westerly  winds  drove  them  over  to 
the  eastern  shore,  near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph'sRiver, 
where  Marquette  became  so  much  weaker  as  to  require 
lifting  to  and  from  the  canoe.  He  was  still  anxious  to  be 
carried  forward.  His  companions,  seeing  him  sinking 
fast,  moved  with  gentle  strokes  along  near  the  shore.  But 
his  hour  was  come.  Pausing  at  the  entrance  of  a  little 
river  of  Michigan,  a  cabin  was  hastily  erected,  and  there, 
on  a  bed  of  boughs,  the  great  explorer  of  the  Mississippi 
breathed  his  last,  in  the  gloom  and  solitude  of  the  wilder- 
ness. His  companions  buried  him  reverently,  and  marked 
the  place  of  his  grave.  Two  years  later,  the  Illinois  In- 
dians, who  had  loved  him  as  a  father,  exhumed  his  remains, 
and  carried  them  with  solemn  pomp  to  Michiliinackinac, 
where  they  deposited  them  in  their  final  resting-place. 


64  THE    GREAT   WEST. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    GREAT    LAKES. 

Ottawa  and  French  rivers  —  Robert  Cavalier  de  La  Salle,  first  navigator 
upon  the  lakes  —  His  patent  for  the  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the 
West — "  The  Griffin,"  the  first  sail-vessel  built  on  the  Lakes  — 
Her  first  and  only  trip  —  La  Salle's  misfortune —  Descends  the  Jlis- 
gissippi  —  Loses  one  of  his  hunters  in  the  woods  —  Takes  formal 
possession  of  the  country  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi — Plate 
engraved,  and  deposited  in  the  earth  —  La  Salle  goes  to  France  — 
Returns  with  three  ships  —  The  store-ship  dashed  in  pieces  on  the 
coast  of  Texas  —  One  hundred  men  lost  by  sickness  —  La  Salle  and 
sixteen  men  set  out  overland  for  the  Illinois  —  La  Salle  murdered  by 
two  oi  his  companions. 

NEXT  after  the  discoveries  in  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, onr  attention  is  attracted  to  the  exploration  of  the 
great  lakes,  from  the  Falls  of  Niagara  to  Green  Bay. 
The  lower  lakes  had  all  along  been  so  infested  by  war 
parties  of  the  Iroquois,  that  safety,  as  well  as  directness, 
had  led  to  the  adoption  of  another  route.  The  earlier 
adventurers,  leaving  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Montreal,  fol- 
lowed the  courses  of  the  Ottawa  and  French  rivers  to 
Lake  Huron.  But  those  streams  were  interrupted  by 
frequent  and  toilsome  portages.  It  led  through  a  region 
horrible  with  forests.  All  day  long,  they  had  to  wade  or 
handle  the  oar.  Around  thirty-five  water-falls  their 
canoes  had  to  be  carried  on  the  shoulders,  through  tangled 
woods,  and  over  rough  stones ;  and  be  dragged  by  hand 
up  through  fifty  rapids.  The  new  route,  by  the  way  of 
the  lakes,  made  more  accessible  the  whole  interior  of  the 
continent ;  and,  sweeping  further  south,  along  Lake  Erie, 


ROBERT   DE   LA    SALLE.  65 

opened  at  once  into  the  beautiful  and  fertile  regions  of  the 
Ohio.  The  missionaries  had  heretofore  taken  the  lead  in 
the  progress  of  discovery  at  the  West.  A  merchant  was 
now  about  to  enter  the  field.  Eeligious  enthusiasm  was 
to  be  superseded  by  commercial  enterprise. 

Robert  Cavalier  deLaSalle,  the  first  navigator  upon  the 
lakes,  was  a  native  of  Rouen,  in  the  north  of  France.  His 
intellectual  endowments  were  of  a  high  order.  He  had 
been  brought  up  exclusively  for  literary  pursuits.  Accom- 
plished in  all  the  sciences,  especially  the  mathematics,  he 
had  spent  ten  years  of  his  life  teaching  and  studying  in  the 
Jesuit  colleges.  But  all  his  plans  for  the  promotion  of 
learning  were  broken  up  by  the  loss  of  his  inheritance, 
which  had  been  stripped  from  him  by  the  unjust  provisions 
of  the  French  law ;  and  he  had  been  compelled  to  seek,  in 
a  new  employment,  and  in  a  new  country,  the  means  of 
restoring  his  fortunes.  The  precise  time  of  his  coming 
out  to  Canada  can  not  now  be  ascertained ;  but  it  must 
have  been  as  early  as  1670 ;  for,  two  years  later,  we  find 
him  in  command  at  Frontenac  —  a  military  post  at  the  foot 
of  Lake  Ontario,  near  the  site  of  the  city  of  Kingston. 
He  obtained  a  grant  of  the  lake  and  its  dependencies, 
together  with  a  monopoly  of  its  trade ;  but  upon  the  con- 
dition that  he  should  maintain  a  fort  upon  its  shores,  and 
a  sufficient  garrison,  at  his  own  expense.  In  compliance 
with  this  condition,  La  Salle,  in  1675,  built  a  regular 
stone  fort,  with  four  bastions,  inclosing  the  old  fort,  and 
commanding  a  bay,  in  which  a  considerable  fleet  of  vessels 
might  have  ridden  with  safety.  The  governor  of  Canada 
went  up  to  Frontenac  each  year,  at  the  assembling  of  the 
chiefs  of  the  Iroquois  nations ;  and,  by  distributing  among 
them  flattering  presents,  secured  the  alliance  and  com- 
merce of  that  powerful  confederacy. 

'    Although  La  Salle  had  met  with  M.  Joliet,  at  Frontenac, 

E 


66  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

when  that  distinguished  adventurer  "was  returning  from 
the  West,  and  had  inspected  the  journals  and  maps 
which,  soon  after  that,  were  lost  in  the  Rapids  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  yet  he  was  so  much  occupied  with  his  own 
plans  of  making  a  fortune  out  of  his  monopoly  of  the  trade 
of  the  lake  that  he  does  not  seem  to  have  been  desirous 
of  participating  then  in  securing  the  traffic  upon  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Three  years  later,  however,  finding  that  his 
monopoly  had  aroused  the  jealousy  of  all  the  other  traders, 
who,  scattered  throughout  the  wilderness,  were  thwarting 
him  in  every  possible  manner,  he  conceived  the  vast  enter- 
prise of  shipping  the  furs  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tribu- 
taries direct  to  France,  by  the  way  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  Indians  would  have  to  be  conciliated,  the  Spaniards 
expelled,  forts  and  trading  stations  established;  but  La 
Salle  had  a  genius  for  commerce,  and  a  courage  that  was 
equal  to  any  hazard.  In  1677,  he  made  a  voyage  to 
France,  to  press  his  new  application ;  and  upon  receiving 
his  patent  for  the  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the  West,  he 
returned  in  September,  bringing  with  him  Tonti,  an 
Italian  soldier,  as  his  lieutenant,  and  a  body  of  mechanics 
and  sailors,  together  with  all  things  necessary  for  his 
expedition. 

Such  was  the  speed  with  which  this  extraordinary  man 
perfected  his  arrangements,  that,  on  the  eighteenth  day  of 
November,  he  embarked,  at  Frontenac,  in  a  brigantine, 
with  his  company,  and  set  sail  for  the  Niagara  River. 
But  contrary  winds  prevented  him  from  reaching  the 
place  of  destination  until  the  sixth  day  of  December. 
A  site  for  a  fort  was  immediately  selected,  where  the 
yawning  chasm  opened  toward  the  lake,  to  obtain  the 
control  of  the  outlet  of  the  upper  lakes,  and  give  addi- 
tional security  to  the  commerce  of  Ontario.  Above  the 
cataract,  near  the  present  village  of  Schlosser,  La  Salle 


THE   GRIEFIN.  67 

caused  the  ways  to  be  laid  down,  and  commenced  the 
construction  of  a  vessel,  for  the  purpose  of  going  round 
by  water  to  the  Illinois  country.  Soon,  the  ringing  sound 
of  axes  and  of  hammers  was  heard  in  the  grand  old 
woods,  mingling  with  the  deep  booming  of  Niagara.  At 
the  same  time  that  the  Dutch  were  paddling  about  on  the 
Mohawk  in  broad-bottomed  skiffs,  between  Schenectady 
and  Albany,  and  just  as  the  Puritans  were  beginning  the 
precious  war  upon  witches  in  Massachusetts,  the  brave 
French  merchant  was  building  ships  in  the  profoundest 
depths  of  the  American  wilderness. 

Meanwhile,  the  enemies  of  La  Salle  were  busy  raising 
clamors  against  him,  and  throwing  obstacles  in  his  way; 
and  they  succeeded  so  far  as  to  awaken  distrust  among 
the  Senecas ;  so  that  the  building  of  the  fort  had  to  be 
abandoned,  for  a  time,  and  in  its  place  substituted  a  house 
surrounded  by  palisades.  Misfortunes,  also,  seem  to  have 
pressed  heavily  upon  him.  One  of  his  vessels,  on  Lake 
Ontario,  loaded  with  materials,  provisions,  and  merchan- 
dise, was  cast  away  in  a  gale,  and  became  a  total  wreck. 

But  La  Salle  was  not  a  man  to  be  disheartened  by 
ordinai-y  losses.  He  vigorously  prosecuted  the  building 
of  his  vessel  at  Niagara;  and  at  the  close  of  July,  1679, 
he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  glide  into  the  water. 
He  gave  it  the  name  of  "  The  Griffin,"  in  honor  of  the 
arms  of  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  then  governor  of  Can- 
ada, to  whose  friendly  assistance  he  was  greatly  indebted 
for  the  early  completion  of  his  preparations.  On  the  sev- 
enth day  of  August,  La  Salle  embarked  with  the  greater 
part  of  his  company,  and  set  about  stemming  the  swift 
current  of  the  river.  And  just  as  the  sun  was  going 
down  behind  the  dark  Canadian  forests,  The  Griffin 
began  plowing  her  way  through  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie, 
on  the  route  to  the  West. 


63  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

La  Salle  had  with  him  during  the  voyage  Tonti,  his 
lieutenant,  several  friars,  and  sixty  sailors,  boatmen,  hun- 
ters, and  soldiers.  After  a  quick  passage — considering 
that  it  was,  in  part,  upon  unknown  waters — they  arrived 
at  Green  Bay  in  twenty  days,  and  cast  anchor  at  its  head, 
having  traced  out  a  channel  which  has  already  become 
one  of  the  great  highways  of  commerce.  The  Griffin 
was  sent  back  with  a  rich  lading  of  furs,  under  orders  to 
return  with  provisions  and  merchandise,  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan;  whither  La  Salle  was 
preparing  to  go,  forthwith,  with  a  fleet  of  bark  canoes. 
Traversing  the  whole  length  of  that  lake  in  those  frail 
vessels,  he  spent  the  autumn  in  erecting  a  fort  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph's  River,  in  sounding  the  channel, 
and  establishing  a  depot  for  supplies  and  goods.  Impa- 
tiently awaiting  the  return  of  The  Griffin  until  the  snows 
began  to  fall,  he  crossed  over  to  Chicago,  and  remained 
there  some  weeks,  in  hopes  that  she  still  might  arrive. 
But  upon  returning  he  got  no  tidings  of  her.  Misfortune 
seems  to  have  followed  upon  misfortune.  The  Griffin 
was  wrecked  on  her  homeward  voyage.  Hearing  nothing 
more  of  her,  La  Salle  proceeded  south  to  the  Kankakee, 
a  branch  of  the  Illinois,  and,  descending  the  latter  river, 
below  Peoria,  he  passed  the  winter  in  building  another 
fort,  which  he  called  Crevccceur,  (Heart-break,)  to  signify 
how  great  was  his  disappointment.  But  he  spent  no  time 
in  lamenting  his  losses.  His  resolution  appears  to  have 
risen  in  proportion  with  his  disasters.  He  laid  the  found- 
ations of  a  new  vessel  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Peoria,  but 
was  obliged  to  abandon  it  for  want  of  materials. 

In  March,  1680,  La  Salle  determined  upon  a  plan  to 
hasten  or  replace  the  necessary  supplies ;  and  for  that 
purpose  he  set  off,  with  only  three  attendants,  and  fol- 
lowing along  the  water-shed,  or  divide,  which  separates 


THE   LOSS   OF  THE   GRIFFIN.  69 

the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Ohio  Eiver  from  those 
which  flow  into  Lake  Erie,  he  traveled  the  entire  length 
of  the  wilderness  on  foot,  and  reached  Frontenac  in  safety. 
There,  however,  new  difficulties  awaited  him.  He  found 
his  affairs  in  the  utmost  confusion.  With  the  loss  of  the 
Griffin  had  come  the  report  of  La  Salle's  death,  which 
had  been  eagerly  circulated  by  his  enemies.  His  property 
had  been  seized  upon  by  his  creditors.  That  would  seem 
to  have  been  sufficient  to  have  made  his  cup  of  bitterness 
run  over.  But  the  invincible  man  was  not  to  be  made 
to  be  dead  before  his  time.  The  waste  of  waters,  the 
howling  wilderness,  malicious  enemies,  and  hungry  cred- 
itors, had  all  to  yield  to  his  iron  will.  Applying  once 
more  to  the  governor  for  aid,  he  made  arrangements  to 
continue  the  prosecution  of  his  enterprise. 

While  thus  conquering  his  embarrassments  in  Canada, 
other  disasters  had  befallen  him  in  Michigan  and  in  Illi- 
nois. No  sooner  had  La  Salle  set  his  face  toward  the 
east  than  most  of  his  men  deserted  their  posts.  That  at 
St.  Josephs  was  completely  abandoned.  Tonti,  with  a 
few  brave  companions,  continued  to  hold  out  at  Peoria. 
But  while  his  master  was  yet  traversing  the  wilderness, 
some  roving  bands  of  Iroquois  attacked  the  Illinois  vil- 
lages, drove  Tonti  from  his  post,  which,  together  with 
timber  for  the  vessel,  they  burned  with  fire.  Tonti  fled 
to  Green  Bay,  and  from  thence  proceeded  by  the  northern 
route  to  seek  after  La  Salle.  Long  before  Tonti  had 
reached  Frontenac,  La  Salle  was  again  on  his  way,  with 
recruits  and  supplies,  overland,  through  Michigan  to  the 
St.  Josephs,  and  down  that  river  to  the  lake.  He  arrived 
at  Peoria  late  in  October,  and  found  his  fort  a  blackened 
ruin.  He  resolutely  began  building  still  another  fort  on 
the  Illinois,  sufficiently  strong  to  bid  defiance  to  the  war- 
fare of  savages.  It  was  situated  upon  a  cliff  that  rose 


70  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

two  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  in  the  center  of  a 
lovely  country  of  verdant  prairies,  bordered  by  distant 
slopes,  richly  tufted  with  oak  and  black-walnut,  and  the 
noblest  trees  of  the  American  forest.  And  when  that 
was  well-nigh  completed,  he  set  out  again,  in  1681,  to 
return  to  Frontenac  for  more  recruits.  But  on  his  way 
he  met  the  faithful  Tonti,  at  Michilimackinac,  with  a 
company  of  men,  hastening  westward  to  his  assistance. 
With  these,  La  Salle  went  back  to  his  new  fort,  which  he 
named  St.  Louis. 

He  found  it  necessary  to  change  the  plan  of  his  expe- 
dition. He  had  not  time  to  build  a  ship.  He  would 
explore  the  river  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  take  formal  pos- 
session of  the  country;  and  then,  going  from  Quebec  to 
France,  he  would  return  and  enter  the  Mississippi  from 
the  sea.  La  Salle  proceeded  to  organize  the  expedition 
according  to  that  plan.  He  broke  his  followers  up  into 
three  companies,  and  appointed  Dautray,  also,  to  act  as 
lieutenant.  Hastening  his  preparations,  With  his  usual 
celerity,  he  caused  three  large  boats  to  be  constructed, 
during  the  winter,  complete;  and  was  ready,  with  the 
opening  of  the  Illinois,  to  embark. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  February,  1682,  the  expedition, 
conducted  by  La  Salle  in  person,  and  his  lieutenants, 
Tonti  and  Dautray,  with  Zenobius  Membre  as  chaplain, 
and  Indians  as  hunters  and  guides,  entered  the  wide 
waters  of  the  Mississippi.  They  waited  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Illinois  till  the  thirteenth,  to  get  clear  of  the  floating 
ice ;  and  then  proceeded  down  the  river.  They  passed  the 
mouth  of  the  muddy  Missouri,  and  the  rapids  which  the 
Indians  had  so  much  dreaded;  then  the  Ohio,  and  the 
region  of  canes.  The  expedition  was  obliged  to  send  out 
hunting  and  fishing  parties  daily,  not  having  been  able  to 
lay  in  a  stock  of  provisions,  except  Indian  corn.  On  the 


VISIT   OF   LA   SALLE  TO   FRANCE.  71 

twenty-fourth,  all  the  hunters  came  in,  but  one;  the  rest 
reported  having  seen  an  Indian  trail ;  and  that  led  to  the 
supposition  that  the  Frenchman  had  been  killed  or  taken 
captive.  With  characteristic  humanity,  La  Salle  directed 
the  boats  to  anchor  near  a  high  bluff,  on  the  top  of  which 
he  threw  up  intrenchments,  determined  to  rescue  the  man, 
or  chastise  his  murderers.  The  most  skillful  hunters 
were  dispatched  along  the  trail.  None  were  allowed  to 
relax  their  efforts,  until,  on  the  ninth  day,  the  missing 
hunter,  who  had  got  bewildered  and  lost,  was  found. 

As  the  expedition  proceeded  down  the  river,  La  Salle 
took  formal  possession  of  the  country  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas,  and  at  Natchez.  On  the  sixth  of  April,  it 
arrived  at  a  place  where  the  Mississippi  divided  into 
three  channels,  and  the  boats  separated  so  as  to  explore 
them  all.  The  water  soon  became  brackish  as  they 
advanced;  and  on  the  ninth,  they  reached  the  open  sea. 
An  authentic  act  was  then  drawn  up,  and  signed  by  all 
the  party ;  and,  amid  a  volley  of  musketry,  a  leaden  plate, 
inscribed  with  the  arms  of  France  and  the  names  of 
those  who  had  made  the  discovery,  was  deposited  in  the 
earth.  The  expedition  then  ascended  the  river  to  Illinois ; 
and  La  Salle  dispatched  Membre  to  France,  to  lay  an 
account  of  his  voyage  before  the  government. 

The  next  year  La  Salle  himself  reached  France,  and 
meeting  with  much  favor,  procured  a  fleet  of  four  ships — 
two  of  them,  the  Joly  and  the  Belle,  ships  of  war ;  the 
Amaible,  a  store-ship ;  and  the  St.  Francis,  a  ketch.  The 
St.  Francis  was  captured  by  the  Spaniards  soon  after 
sailing.  About  the  first  of  December,  1684,  the  three 
ships,  having  stopped  at  St.  Domingo,  arrived  off  the 
island  of  Cuba;  and,  steering  to  the  north-west,  sought 
the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi.  But  all  on  board  were 
ignorant  of  the  coast,  and  the  fleet  went  too  far  vest- 


72  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

ward,  which  was  perceived,  at  last,  by  the  land  setting 
off  south.  In  attempting  to  enter  the  mouth  of  a  river 
on  the  coast  of  Texas,  the  store-ship  got  fast  aground,  and 
was  soon  after  broken  to  pieces  by  the  waves.  The 
goods  were  saved;  and  La  Salle  determined  upon  plant- 
ing his  colony  in  that  country.  The  ships  of  war 
returned  to  France.  Sickness,  within  a  year,  carried  off 
an  hundred  men,  and  the  survivors  were  reduced  to  great 
distress.  La  Salle,  having  made  an  ineffectual  attempt 
to  reach  the  Mississippi,  through  the  swamps  along  the 
gulf,  resolved  to  cross  the  continent  to  Illinois,  by  land. 
He  set  out  on  that  desperate  undertaking  in  January, 
1687,  with  sixteen  men;  and  after  interminable  wan- 
derings through  the  wilderness,  he  was  murdered,  on  the 
nineteenth  day  of  March,  by  two  mutinous  companions. 
The  murderers  themselves  were  afterward  murdered. 
Only  five  of  the  company  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  and  returning  to  Canada.  In  the  mean- 
while, Tonti  had  been  twice  down  the  Mississippi  to 
meet  his  master ;  but  failing  in  that,  he  left  a  letter  for 
him  with  the  Indians  nearest  the  gulf,  which  was  religi- 
ously kept  by  them  for  fourteen  years,  and  delivered  to 
the  first  white  man  that  afterward  arrived  in  their  country 


DESTRUCTION  OF  MONTEEAL.  73 


CHAPTER  V. 

FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS. 

Destruction  of  Montreal  by  the  Iroquois  —  Iroquois  conquered  — 
Treaty  of  peace  —  French  emigration  —  Fort  Chartres  —  Manufac- 
ture of  flour  in  the  Wabash  country  —  The  adaptation  of  the  Indian 
manners,  etc.,  by  the  French  —  Its  effects  —  Description  of  the 
French  settlements  —  Dress  of  the  settlers  —  Inroads  upon  the 
French  —  Attempts  of  the  Spaniards  to  dispossess  the  French  — 
Their  defeat,  and  overthrow  of  the  Santa  F6  expedition  —  Progress 
of  English  settlements  toward  the  West  —  An  English  trader 
among  the  French  —  His  fate  —  The  Ohio  Company's  grant  —  GOT. 
Dinwiddie  dispatches  Geo.  Washington  with  a  message  to  the 
French — Beginning  of  the  French  war  —  The  West  open  to 
English  emigration  —  Taking  possession  of  the  military  posts  — 
Robert  Rogers  —  Rogers'  Rangers  —  Character  of  the  Rangers  — 
The  Rangers  at  Cleveland  —  Visit  from  Pontiac  —  The  forts 
delivered  to  the  English. 

ALTHOUGH  La  Salle  had  miserably  perished,  and  Mar- 
quette  had  died  in  the  wilderness,  and  Joliet  been  shame- 
fully neglected,  yet  their  glowing  descriptions  of  the 
western  country  had  filled  the  imaginations  of  adventur- 
ous men  with  visions  of  a  terrestrial  paradise  in  the 
delightful  regions  of  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  along  the  Lower  St.  Lawrence 
were  becoming  dissatisfied  with  its  sterile  shores  and  rig- 
orous winters,  and  were  preparing  to  seek  new  homes  in 
the  great  valley  of  the  West,  where  the  summei  extended 
through  more  than  half  the  year;  where  the  rich  soils 
produced,  spontaneously,  the  choicest  grains,  the  most 
delicious  fruits.  But,  for  a  time,  the  progress  of  the 
French  settlements  was  checked  by  the  breaking  out  of 
4 


74  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

another  Iroquois  war.  Bitterly  had  the  Canadians  rued 
the  day  on  which  Champlain,  the  founder  of  the  colony, 
had  joined  the  Huron  war-parties  in  an  irruption  into  the 
Mohawk  country.  The  hatred  of  the  fierce  Mohawk  war- 
riors had  scarcely  slumbered  during  a  period  of  eighty 
years.  It  again  broke  out  afresh. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  August,  1689,  fifteen  hun- 
dred Iroquois  warriors,  horrible  with  paint,  and  thirsty 
for  blood,  made  a  sudden  and  terrible  inroad  into  Canada. 
They  ravaged  the  island  of  Montreal  with  fire  and  sword ; 
destroyed  all  the  settlements,  captured  the  town  and  fort, 
and  butchered,  with  frightful  cruelties,  the  victims  that 
fell  into  their  hands.  After  having  spread  desolation, 
and  woe,  and  death,  in  every  direction,  they  only  retired 
at  the  approach  of  winter.  The  war  continued  to  rage 
for  more  than  five  years.  In  the  meanwhile,  Frontenac, 
then  upward  of  seventy  years  old,  concentrated  the 
whole  military  force  of  the  colony  upon  the  shore  of 
Lake  Ontario.  The  fields  around  the  fort  at  the  foot  of 
the  lake  became  white  with  tents ;  in  the  bay  floated  two 
schooners,  armed,  and  a  fleet  of  canoes.  Soon  afterward, 
he  made  a  descent,  with  four  thousand  men,  upon  the  Iro- 
quois country.  Crossing  the  lake,  and  ascending  the 
Oswego,  he  destroyed  the  villages  and  cornfields  of  the 
Onondagas  and  Oneidas,  cut  down  their  orchards,  burnt 
up  their  canoes,  and  laid  waste  their  country.  This 
great  invasion  taught  the  Iroquois  an  important  lesson : 
the  French  were  too  numerous  for  extermination.  The 
chiefs  consented  to  treat  at  a  council  to  be  held  at  Mon- 
treal. In  the  summer  of  the  year  1700,  the  Ottawas  and 
Hurons,  from  Lake  Superior ;  the  Sioux,  from  the  Upper 
Mississippi ;  and  four  of  the  Iroquois  nations,  entered  into 
negotiations  for  an  everlasting  peace.  A  treaty  was 
drawn  up  with  great  formality,  and  signed  by  all  the 


FORT    CHARTEES.  75 

parties,  each  Indian  nation  placing  for  itself  a  symbol : 
the  Senecas  and  Onondagas,  a  spider;  the  Oneidas,  a 
forked  stick;  and  the  Mohawks,  a  bear.  It  declared  that 
•war  should  cease  along  the  whole  frontier;  that  peace 
should  reach  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

The  way  of  French  emigration  to  the  West  had  then, 
at  last,  become  safe.  Missionary  stations  soon  began  to 
grow  into  regular  parishes.  At  Peoria  a  settlement  was 
rapidly  forming.  Kaskaskia  became  a  happy  and  pros- 
perous village.  Other  places  were  rapidly  rising  into 
note.  In  June,  1701,  De  la  Motte  Cadillac,  and  one 
hundred  men,  took  possession  of  Detroit  River  and  Lake 
St.  Clair,  then  deemed  the  loveliest  part  of  country; 
and  the  French  began  the  assertion  of  their  claim  to  the 
country  south  and  west  of  the  lakes,  and  upon  the 
streams  occupied  by  their  Indian  allies,  comprising  all 
the  territory  drained  by  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  extensive  region,  the  best  watered,  the  most 
fertile  of  any  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  was  called  New 
France.  Five  years  later,  extensive  settlements  had  been 
formed  in  the  valley  of  the  Wabash,  from  which  fifteen 
thousand  hides  and  skins  were  annually  sent  south  to  Mo- 
bile, for  the  European  market. 

Great  efforts  were  made  to  secure  the  possession  of  the 
vast  inland  territory  which  opened,  through  such  magnifi- 
cent water  communications,  to  the  east  and  to  the  south. 
The  Spaniards  were  creeping  up  the  Rio  Grande  into 
New  Mexico.  The  English  were  yet  spread  out  along 
the  sea-coast,  and  were  hemmed  in  by  the  mountains. 
For  that  purpose,  strong  military  posts  were  built  on  the 
western  and  interior  waters.  In  1720,  the  construction 
of  a  stronghold  was  commenced  in  the  Illinois  country, 
to  serve  as  the  head-quarters  of  Upper  Louisiana.  This 
was  Fort  Chartres,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi, 


76  THE   GEEAT   WEST. 

and '  sixty -five  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 
Having  been  designed  for  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses 
in  America,  its  walls  were  built  of  solid  masonry,  which 
required  eighteen  months  for  their  completion.  But,  one 
hundred  years  afterward,  its  massive  ruins  were  so  over- 
grown with  vines  and  forest-trees  as  to  be  almost  impene- 
trable to  the  traveler.  Previous  to  1735,  the  fort 
which  had  previously  been  abandoned  by  La  Salle,  had 
been  rebuilt  at  Niagara,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river; 
another  frowned  at  Vincennes  over  the  Wabash  valley, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  the  Ohio  River;  ano- 
ther at  Presque  Isle  overlooked  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie ; 
that  at  Detroit  commanded  the  passage  to  the  upper 
lakes ;  and,  soon  after,  Fort  Du  Quesne,  now  Pittsburgh, 
controlled  the  navigation  of  the  Ohio,  Monongahela,  and 
Alleghany  rivers. 

As  early  as  1746,  six  hundred  barrels  of  flour  were 
manufactured  in  the  Wabash  country,  in  a  single  year, 
and  transported  to  New  Orleans,  beside  large  quantities 
of  hides,  tallow,  and  beeswax.  The  Upper  Wabash  was 
the  seat  of  a  quiet,  industrious,  and  agricultural  people. 
A  few  years  later,  the  Illinois  country  was  found  to  con- 
tain six  distinct  settlements,  with  their  respective  villages. 
Cahokia,  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek  of  the  same  name,  five 
miles  below  the  present  site  of  St.  Louis ;  St.  Philips, 
forty-five  miles  further  down  the  river;  Fort  Chartres, 
twelve  miles  above  Kaskaskia;  Kaskaskia,  on  the  river 
of  that  name,  upon  a  peninsula,  and  within  two  miles  of 
the  Mississippi ;  Prairie  du  Eocker,  near  Fort  Chartres ; 
St.  Genevieve,  upon  Gabarre  creek.  These  were  among 
the  oldest  villages  of  the  West.  And  Kaskaskia,  before 
the  country  paseed  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  was 
quite  a  large  town,  containing  between  three  and  four 
thousand  inhabitants.  These  villages  were  secure,  though 


INTERMARRIAGE   WITH   THE   INDIANS.  77 

in  the  midst  of  an  Indian  country,  and  surrounded  by 
many  warlike  tribes. 

Throughout  all  their  efforts  at  planting  settlements  in 
the  western  country,  the  French  had  steadily  adhered  to 
the  policy  of  conciliating  the  Indians.  They,  indeed, 
seem  to  have  been  peculiarly  adapted  to  harmonize,  in 
their  habits  and  feelings,  with  the  wild  denizens  of  the 
forest  and  the  prairie.  In  their  explorations  of  the  re- 
motest rivers,  in  their  long  journeys  overland,  in  the 
wigwams,  in  the  cabins,  at  the  forts,  they  associated  with 
their  red  brethren  on  terms  of  entire  equality.  The 
French  temper,  so  pliant,  so  plastic,  so  strongly  in  con- 
trast with  the  stubborn  spirit  of  Englishmen,  was  readily 
moulded  to  Indian  customs  and  Indian  forms.  The  wan- 
dering Frenchman,  with  his  free  and  easy  manners,  his 
merry  laughter,  his  fondness  for  display,  mingling  in  the 
dusky  crowd,  was  cordially  welcomed  at  all  the  Indian 
villages  of  the  West.  He  might  choose  himself  a  wife 
among  his  Indian  friends,  and  live  there  with  them,  and 
be  one  of  them.  In  fact,  amalgamation  existed  to  a  very 
considerable  extent,  and  in  a  few  generations  scarcely  a 
tribe  was  free  from  an  infusion  of  Celtic  blood. 

The  ready  adoption  of  the  Indian  manners  and  mode 
of  living,  and  more  than  that,  the  frequent  intermarriages 
between  the  two  races,  had  a  tendency  to  bind  the  native 
tribes  more  closely  to  the  French,  who  seemed  to  be  bone 
of  their  bone,  and  flesh  of  their  flesh.  In  all  the  "West, 
the  Indian  villages  were  thronged  with  Frenchmen,  who 
joined  in  the  dances,  went  forth  with  the  hunting-parties, 
and  along  the  war-paths.  But  while  this  policy  of  inti- 
mate association  with  the  different  tribes  had  strengthened 
the  hold  of  the  government  upon  the  country,  it  also  had 
tended  to  sink  the  Frenchman  into  a  barbarian.  Casting 
off  the  habits  of  civilization,  he  soon  imbibed  the  notions, 


7b  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

whims,  and  prejudices  of  his  wild  associates.  He  loved 
to  decorate  his  hair  with  the  feathers  of  eagles,  and  adorn 
his  hunting-shirt  with  hairy  fringes,  and  his  moccasins 
with  a  web-work  of  porcupine  quills.  He  came  to  have 
faith  in  the  magic  drum  of  the  Indian  conjuror.  He 
believed  in  omens  and  in  dreams.  He  would  whistle 
away  vigorously  through  the  hollow  wing-bone  of  a  bird, 
to  dispel  the  approaching  thunder-storm.  He  would 
carry  the  horny  tails  of  rattlesnakes  in  his  bullet-pouch, 
as  charms,  to  give  certainty  to  his  aim.  But  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  French  population  was  thus  easily 
degenerated.  It  was  the  ignorant,  who,  everywhere, 
and  among  all  people,  sink  rather  to  the  level  below 
them  than  climb  to  the  level  above  them. 

Beside  the  missionaries,  other  intelligent  Frenchmen 
were  scattered  throughout  the  West,  studying  the  lan- 
guages of  their  Indian  allies,  complying  with  their  usages, 
flattering  their  prejudices,  and  assisting  them  in  acquiring 
the  arts  of  white  men.  These  agents  were  careful  not 
to  ruffle  the  self-complacent  dignity  of  the  Indian  nature. 
They  never  shocked  the  religious  notions,  nor  ridiculed 
the  ancient  customs  of  their  savage  friends.  They 
attended  at  all  public  ceremonies,  and  took  part  in  them, 
and  strove  to  manifest  a  disposition  to  meet  their  com- 
panions of  the  wilderness  half-way.  Count  Frontenac, 
himself,  plumed  and  painted  like  a  chief,  danced  the  war- 
dance,  and  yelled  the  war-song,  at  the  camp-fires  of  his 
delighted  allies.  And  whenever  a  party  of  sachems  paid 
a  visit  to  a  French  fort,  they  were  received  with  military 
honors ;  the  troops  presented  arms,  the  drums  rolled,  the 
cannons  belched  forth  their  thundering  welcomes.  Indian 
vanity  was  delighted  with  such  pompous  and  showy 
friendship.  The  chiefs  were  regaled  at  the  officers'  tables ; 
and  when  they  took  their  departure,  were  loaded  with 


THE   FRENCH   SETTLEMENTS.  79 

presents,  and  adorned  with  medals  and  decorations,  and 
brilliant  uniforms,  and  flags.  Their  treatment  was  always 
respectful.  None  smiled  at  the  strange  fancies,  or  stared 
at  the  ridicGlous  appearance  of  the  daubed  and  greasy 
warriors.  The  shirtless  savage,  in  cocked-hat  and  plume, 
his  scarlet  coat-tails  flapping  behind  his  naked  legs,  might 
stalk  all  over  the  parade-ground,  and  never  suspect  that 
he  was  not  an  object  of  intense  admiration  to  all.  The 
hatred  of  the  Iroquoia,  even,  was  not  toward  the  French- 
men as  men,  but  toward  them  as  the  allies  of  the 
Hurons,  the  hereditary  enemies  of  their  confederacy. 

The  French  settlements  at  the  West,  therefore,  were 
safe  from  Indian  depredations.  They,  indeed,  were  sit- 
uated in  the  midst  of  a  wilderness,  but  it  was  a  wilder- 
ness of  beauty,  and  inhabited  by  friendly  races.  The 
tribes  around  them  were  but  so  many  outposts  to  repel 
enemies,  and  give  timely  warning  of  danger.  The 
French  settlements  were  compact  villages,  isolated  from 
each  other,  and  a  thousand  miles  distant  through  woods 
and  waters  from  Canada.  The  settlers  were  sociable,  as 
well  as  vagrant,  and  loved  to  congregate  together.  No 
farm-houses  were  scattered,  as  with  the  English,  along 
highways  cut  through  the  woods.  The  French  settle- 
ments were  on  the  bank  of  some  pleasant  stream ;  a  single 
narrow  street  ran  along  in  front ;  each  lot,  a  few  rods  in 
width,  extended  back  as  far  again,  fenced  in  with  rude 
pickets ;  each  house  contiguous  to  the  houses  right  and 
left.  The  merry  villagers  could  pour  out  their  volubility 
at  the  windows  or  on  the  stoops.  The  young  men  and 
maidens  could  readily  pass  from  door  to  door.  The 
houses  were  uniform,  one  story  high,  surrounded  by  gal- 
leries. The  houses  were  constructed  of  corner-posts,  and 
studs,  connected  by  numerous  cross-ties,  to  hold  the 
mud  mixed  up  with  cut  straw  into  a  stiff  mortar,  and 


80  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

plastered  on  with  the  hand.  The  whole  outside  was 
shingled  over  with  bark  to  shed  off  the  rains.  The  out- 
side chimney  was  a  rude  stack  of  dried  mud,  supported 
by  a  pyramid  of  poles  and  slats. 

The  French  settlements  had  each  a  "  commons,"  in  the 
rear  of  their  houses,  inclosing  hundreds  of  acres  within 
one  continuous  fence,  for  the  benefit  of  all.  Each  vil- 
lager had  assigned  him  a  certain  portion  of  it,  as  a  field 
or  garden,  graduated  to  Jhe  size  of  his  family.  Each  one 
cultivated  and  reaped  his  own  allotment,  to  his  own  use, 
and  kept  up  the  fence  where  it  adjoined  on  him.  The 
times  for  plowing,  planting,  and  reaping  in  the  "  commons  " 
were  regulated  by  special  enactments.  Around  the  com- 
mon field  was  left  a  vast  tract  of  vacant  land,  open  to 
all  as  a  pasture-ground.  In  the  French  settlements,  pov- 
erty was  unknown,  for  the  fields  and  pastures  were  free 
to  all  that  would  work.  The  newly-married  received  an 
outfit  from  the  whole  village,  and  had  their  place  on  the 
street,  and  in  the  field,  assigned  to  them.  The  pasture- 
grounds  of  the  French  settlements  were  well  stocked 
with  cattle,  horses,  and  hogs,  wandering  at  large,  the 
property  of  all.  Care  was  a  stranger  to  the  villager,  and 
was  rarely  entertained  as  a  guest.  Amusements,  festi- 
vals, and  holidays,  came  with  frequency,  to  sweeten  toil, 
and  stimulate  cheerfulness. 

In  addition  to  the  villages,  there  were  scattered 
throughout  the  West,  on  the  smaller,  prairies,  and  the 
rich  bottom-lands  of  rivers,  country  settlements  of  a 
patriarchal  character.  These,  also,  were  uniform  in 
appearance.  In  the  middle  of  an  inclosure  of  about  two 
acres,  stood  the  homestead,  occupied  by  the  parent  family. 
Around  the  inclosure,  and  fronting  on  it,  were  placed, 
one  after  another,  the  houses  of  children  and  grand- 
children. So  that,  in  time,  the  aged  father  became 


THE   FRENCH    SETTLEMENTS.  81 

surrounded  by  many  growing  families  of  his  own  lineage, 
all  of  them  having  a  community  of  interest  and  feeling, 
each  occupying  its  own  cottage  contiguous  to  the  paternal 
roof.  Scenes  of  this  kind  were  frequent  in  the  Illinois 
country,  and  on  the  Wabash,  among  the  French,  before 
the  English  had  extended  their  sway  over  that  beautiful 
region.  Scenes  of  this  kind  may  yet  be  found  upon  the 
coast  above  and  below  New  Orleans.  While  the  Anglo- 
Saxons  along  the  Atlantic  were  struggling  with  a  rugged 
soil,  and  fighting  with  the  savages  among  the  mountains, 
the  French  settlers  at  the  West,  far  removed  from  civili- 
zation, surrounded  by  everything  in  nature  which  could 
please  the  eye  or  delight  the  fancy,  were  living  at  peace 
with  the  Indians,  contented,  prosperous,  and  happy,  in 
the  full  enjoyment  of  the  terrestrial  paradise  of  America. 

In  the  French  settlements,  the  lands  were  held  in  com- 
mon, and  the  vacant  lands  were  free  to  all.  The  system 
of  landlord  and  tenant  had  no  existence  among  them. 
Hospitality  was  not  so  much  esteemed  a  virtue,  as  a  duty, 
which  all  cheerfully  performed.  Taverns  were  unknown ; 
each  house  supplied  the  deficiency.  They  had  no  statute 
books,  no  courts  of  law,  no  prisons,  no  instruments  of 
public  punishment.  Learning  and  science  were  terms 
beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  simple  villagers.  In 
all  matters  appertaining  to  learning  or  religion,  the  priest 
was  their  oracle.  On  politics,  and  the  affairs  of  the 
nation,  they  never  suffered  a  moment's  anxiety,  believing, 
implicitly,  that  France  ruled  the  world,  and  ruled  it 
right.  They  had  no  trades  or  professions  in  their  villages. 
The  business  of  all  was  agriculture,  and  the  care  of  flocks 
and  herds.  Each  man  was  his  own  mechanic. 

The  winter  dress  of  the  men  was  a  coarse  blanket 
capote,  drawn  over  the  shirt  and  long  red  vest,  and  serv- 
ing the  double  purpose  of  cloak  and  hatj  for  the 
4*  P 


82  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

hanging  down  from  the  collar,  upon  the  shoulders  and 
back,  could  be  drawn  up  over  the  head,  to  keep  off  the 
cold.  On  festive  occasions,  the  blooming  damsels  wound 
around  their  foreheads  fancy-colored  handkerchiefs,  stream- 
ing with  gay  ribbons,  or  plumed  with  flowers.  The  mat- 
rons wore  the  short  jacket  and  petticoat.  The  foot  was 
left  uncovered  and  free;  but,  on  the  holidays  it  was 
adorned  with  the  light  moccasin,  brilliant  with  porcupine 
quills,  shells,  beads,  and  lace. 

The  peculiar  manners  and  customs  of  these  French 
settlements,  isolated  at  first — isolated  for  a  century  after- 
ward—  separated  by  more  than  a  thousand  miles  from  any 
other  civilized  communities,  became  characteristic  and 
hereditary  with  the  people,  and  have  been  perpetuated  to 
the  present  time.  In  their  ordinary  deportment  the  vil- 
lagers were  grave  and  saturnine,  from  habit  acquired 
from  their  Indian  neighbors.  In  their  amusements,  how- 
ever, they  exhibited  all  the  gayety  of  the  original  French- 
men. The  remnants  of  that  peculiar  population  stand 
out  now,  among  the  bustling  Yankees  at  the  West,  as 
distinct,  as  unbending,  as  the  Indian  races. 

The  French  settlements,  extending  from  Lake  Onta- 
rio to  the  Mississippi,  from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  though  unmolested  by  the  Indians,  were,  never- 
theless, exposed  to  greater  dangers  upon  the  eastern  and 
upon  the  western  sides.  The  English  were  chopping 
their  way  up  the  Mohawk.  The  English  were  forcing 
passages  through  the  Alleghany  Mountains  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet.  The  English  were  clambering  over  the 
Blue  Ridge,  and  hunting  along  the  southern  bank  of  the 
Ohio.  And  the  Spaniards,  in  Florida  and  Mexico,  laid 
claim  to  a  large  portion  of  the  territory  occupied  by  the 
French.  As  early  as  1719,  the  Spaniards,  alarmed  at 
the  rapid  encroachments  of  the  French  in  the  upper  and 


ATTEMPTS  TO  DISPOSSESS  THE  FRENCH.  83 

lower  Mississippi  valleys,  made  strenuous  exertions  to 
dispossess  them.  The  war  raged  in  Florida,  and  along 
the  delta  of  the  Mississippi,  and  among  the  swamps  and 
uplands  of  the  Red  River  of  Louisiana.  Nor  was  it  con- 
fined alone  to  those  regions.  A  grand  scheme  of  conquest, 
worthy  the  days  of  Cortez  and  De  Soto,  was  formed  in 
Mexico.  The  hunters  and  traders  of  the  Rio  Grande 
had  explored  the  great  American  desert,  and  had  led  tha 
way  overland  to  the  borders  of  the  Illinois  country.  De- 
tachments of  cavalry  had  penetrated  the  dreary  waste, 
crossed  from  the  branches  of  the  Arkansas  to  the  Mis- 
souri, and,  following  down  the  river,  had  witnessed  the 
advance  of  the  French  in  that  quarter.  The  Spaniards 
planned  the  extermination  of  the  French,  along  the  Up- 
per Mississippi,  together  with  the  Missouri  Indians,  their 
allies,  and  the  establishment,  in  their  place,  of  a  colony 
from  Mexico,  to  hold  possession  of  the  country,  and 
perpetuate  their  claim  to  the  interior  of  the  continent. 

As  the  spring  of  1720  was  advancing,  all  Santa  Fe 
was  in  a  state  of  unusual  excitement.  Armed  troops  of 
horsemen  were  galloping  along  the  streets;  foot  soldiers 
were  parading  in  the  public  square ;  the  flat-roofed  houses 
were  covered  with  a  gaping  crowd ;  the  wild  Indians  of 
the  plains  were  there  dancing  the  war-dance.  Soon  the 
horsemen,  and  the  footmen,  and  the  Indians  filed  off 
toward  the  mountains  — a  long  and  motley  train,  with  wav- 
ing banners,  and  swords  gleaming  in  the  sun,  and  strains 
of  martial  music  sweetly  floating  in  the  air.  As  the 
head  of  the  column  approached  the  pass  which  led  to 
the  Canadian  River,  and  the  cavalry  bugles  were  ringing 
and  echoing  from  jagged  rocks  and  precipices,  there  fol- 
lowed, in  the  rear,  the  body  of  the  colonists  struggling 
along  the  rugged  and  winding  pathway  —  armed  men ; 
women  and  children  on  horseback;  mules  loaded  with 


84  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

goods;  priests  in  their  robes;  and  mixed  up  with  them, 
immense  droves  of  cattle  and  swine,  to  be  slaughtered 
for  food,  and  to  stock  the  plantations  of  the  new  colony. 

After  many  days  spent  in  the  desert,  wandering  over 
arid  plains,  and  crossing  the  numerous  tributaries  of  the 
Upper  Arkansas,  the  guides  became  bewildered.  It  was 
their  design  to  reach  the  Osage  country,  and  stir  up 
those  Indians  to  war  upon  the  Missouris  and  French. 
But  the  guides  lost  the  proper  route,  and  led  the  way 
unconsciously  into  the  heart  of  the  Missouri  tribes.  The 
Spaniards  did  not  discover  the  mistake,  for  the  Missouris 
spoke  the  same  language  with  the  Osages.  Believing 
themselves,  therefore,  among  friends,  they  revealed  their 
plans  without  reserve,  and  supplied  the  Missouris  with 
arms  and  ammunition  to  aid  in  their  own  extermination. 
The  wily  savage  perceived  the  fatal  mistake,  but  encour- 
aged the  error.  They  requested  two  days  to  assemble 
the  warriors  for  the  contemplated  expedition,  in  which 
they  professed  to  engage  with  pleasure.  The  appointed 
time  had  nearly  elapsed.  The  days  were  spent  in  feast- 
ing. The  Spaniards,  completely  deceived,  had  fixed 
upon  the  next  morning  for  renewing  the  march.  But  be- 
fore the  dawn  of  day,  the  Missouris  fell  upon  their  treach- 
erous enemies,  and  dispatched  them,  every  one,  with 
Indiscriminate  slaughter.  The  tents  were  all  spattered 
with  the  brains  and  blood  of  men,  and  women,  and  chil- 
dren. One  priest  alone  was  spared,  and  sent  to  bear  the 
disastrous  tidings  to  Mexico.  That  terrible  defeat,  to- 
gether with  the  fall  of  Pensacola,  about  the  same  time, 
broke  the  spirit  of  the  Spaniards,  who,  during  two  centu- 
ries, have  been  degenerating  in  the  soft  and  balmy  regions 
of  Mexico  and  Florida. 

The  news  of  the  terrible  overthrow  of  the  Santa  F6 
expedition  soon  reached  the  French,  and  apprised  them  of 


FORT    CHAKTRES.  85 

the  designs  of  the  Spaniards  upon  the  Illinois  country. 
To  arrest  any  further  attempt  from  the  same  quarter,  a 
military  post  was  established  on  an  island  in  the  Missouri 
River,  above  the  mouth  of  the  Osage.  The  late  at- 
tempted invasion  was  the  immediate  cause,  also,  of  the 
erection  of  Fort  Chartres.  About  the  same  time,  a 
detachment  of  ninety  men  was  sent  up  the  Mississippi 
and  St.  Peter's,  and  they  built  a  fort  and  trading  station 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Blue  Earth  River,  among  the  Sioux 
Indians.  Fort  Chartres  was  originally  one  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  river  bank.  It  was  built  in  the  form  of  a 
square.  Each  side  was  three  hundred  and  forty  feet  in 
length.  The  walls  were  of  stone,  and  were  three  feet 
thick,  and  fifteen  feet  high.  It  was  a  place  of  great 
strength  for  the  Indian  country.  Fifty  years  afterward, 
the  river  broke  through  its  banks,  and,  forming  a  new 
channel,  undermined  two  of  the  bastions,  and  Fort  Char- 
tres had  to  be  abandoned.  The  French,  however,  were 
never  again  threatened  with  Spanish  expeditions  across 
the  plains.  The  fate  of  the  first  one  had  filled  all  Mexico 
with  horror. 

But  the  great  danger  to  the  French  possessions  in  the 
interior  of  America  frowned  along  the  eastern  mountains. 
The  progress  of  the  English  settlements,  from  the  first, 
had  been  exceedingly  slow.  Differing  as  widely  from  the 
French  in  policy  as  in  character — stern,  unyielding, 
unflinching — the  English  had,  for  a  long  time,  been 
engaged  in  almost  incessant  war  with  the  tribes  of  the 
Atlantic  coast.  The  French  had  assimilated  to  the  In- 
dians ;  the  English  had  exterminated  them.  In  the  pop- 
ulous parts  of  Canada  were  many  flourishing  native 
villages,  cherished  by  the  government;  among  the  older 
provinces  of  the  English,  scarcely  an  Indian  was  to  be 
seen.  He  was  only  to  be  found  on  the  distant  border. 


86  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

The  English  policy  was  to  subjugate  the  wilderness,  to 
sweep  away  the  forests,  to  cover  the  ground  with  an 
intelligent,  hardy,  thrifty  population.  Before  them  the 
crashing  trees,  the  huge  gaps  in  the  woods,  the  dark, 
ascending  smoke  of  the  autumnal  fires,  heralded  the 
advance  of  Anglo-Saxon  civilization,  from  which  the 
Indians  fled  as  from  a  pestilence.  It  was  the  destiny  of 
the  French  to  overrun  the  great  West.  It  was  the 
destiny  of  the  English  to  subdue  it. 

Their  modes  of  effecting  settlements  contrasted  as 
strongly  as  the  policies  which  dictated  them.  The 
French  penetrated  into  remote  parts  of  the  country,  with- 
out any  fixed  plan  of  occupation ;  scattered  over  a  bound- 
less region;  located  hundreds  of  miles  apart — on  the 
Muskingum,  the  W abash,  Kaskaskia,  Missouri,  and  Blue 
Earth  rivers ;  ?.t  Niagara,  at  Detroit,  Michilimackinac, 
and  Green  Bay.  These  distant  settlements,  feeble,  iso- 
lated, scarcely  made  an  impression  on  the  wilderness. 
The  English  began  within  the  sound  of  the  sea,  and 
established  themselves  firmly  on  the  ground.  They  pro- 
gressed slowly;  but  they  cut  everything  clean  as  they 
went  along.  At  each  step  they  left  behind  them  cultiva- 
ted fields,  flourishing  towns,  cities,  institutions  of  learning, 
commerce,  and  the  arts.  The  English  settlements  were 
generally  close  upon  the  borders,  within  reach  of  popu- 
lous neighborhoods  that  connected  directly  with  the 
strongholds  of  civilization  and  power.  But  this  was  the 
mode  of  the  progress  of  English  civilization  between  the 
sea-coast  and  the  mountains.  When  those  huge  barriers 
had  to  be  crossed,  the  pioneers  had  to  go  forward  in 
detachments,  and  were  separated,  necessarily,  at  wide 
intervals  from  each  other  and  from  the  older  settlements. 
Thus  disadvantageously  situated,  the  English  colonists  at 
the  West  had  to  contend  with  confederated  enemies; 


SEIZURE    OF   THE    ENGLISH.  87 

they    had  to  combat  the  hatred  of  the  Indians  and  of  the 
French  combined. 

Both  the  English  and  the  French  laid  claim  to  the 
western  country.  But  the  French  were  in  possession; 
which  is  nine  points  in  law — with  nations,  the  tenth 
point  is  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  The  French,  from  the 
beginning,  were  exceedingly  jealous  of  English  encroach- 
ments on  the  Ohio  and  along  the  lakes.  They  seem  to 
have  had  a  presentiment  of  the  mighty  force  that  would 
one  day  pour  over  the  Alleghanies,  and  sweep  them  before 
it.  They  seem  to  have  striven  to  keep  the  knowledge  of  the 
beautiful  region  of  lakes  and  rivers,  of  forest  and  prairie, 
wholly  to  themselves.  They  seized  all  -the  Englishmen 
west  of  the  mountains  that  they  could  lay  their  hands  on. 
and  detained  them  as  prisoners  of  war.  The  French  set- 
tlers were  hospitable  toward  each  other,  kindly  with  the 
Indians,  but  murderous  toward  the  English. 

As  early  as  1687,  Major  McGregory,  favored  by  the 
friendship  of  the  Iroquois,  had  ascended  with  a  boat-load 
of  goods  to  Lake  Huron,  for  the  purpose  of  trafficking 
with  the  Indians  along  its  shores.  The  appearance  of  an 
Englishman  on  those  waters  excited  great  commotion. 
He  was  promptly  seized  and  imprisoned,  and  his  goods 
distributed  among  the  Hurons  as  presents  from  the 
French.  English  trade  in  that  quarter  was  repressed  for 
a  time ;  the  example  of  plundering  Englishmen  was  dis- 
tinctly set  before  the  Indians ;  and  the  plunder  distributed 
as  bribes  to  follow  the  example.  In  1749,  La  Jonquiere, 
governor  of  Canada,  sent  clear  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Muskingum  River,  in  Ohio,  to  capture  four  English  tra- 
ders, and  had  them  conveyed  to  Quebec.  But  English 
curiosity,  resolution,  and  enterprise,  were  soon  to  break 
through  all  the  restrictions  imposed  on  them  by  the 
French. 


88  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

Even  as  far  back  as  1716,  Governor  Spotswood,  of 
Virginia,  had  recommended  the  establishment  of  a  chain 
of  forts  along  the  Ohio  River,  to  secure  the  possession  of 
the  western  country.  His  proposition,  however,  had  not 
been  acted  upon.  The  time  had  not  then  arrived  for  the 
English  population  to  seek  an  outlet  beyond  the  moun- 
tains. But,  thirty  years  afterward,  the  region  around  the 
head-waters  of  that  river  had  attracted  considerable 
attention  in  Pennsylvania  and  in  Virginia.  Rumors  of 
the  advance  of  the  French  trading-posts,  south  of  the 
lakes,  had  begun  to  disturb  the  English  provincial  states- 
men. It  was  to  have  been  feared,  that  their  determined 
rivals  upon  the  St.  Lawrence  would  succeed  in  getting 
the  entire  possession  of  the  interior,  and  in  confining  the 
English  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  In  order  to  counteract 
the  plans  of  the  French,  and  neutralize  their  influence 
over  the  western  tribes,  and  obtain  also  a  footing  in  the 
valley  of  the  Ohio,  a  company  had  been  formed  in  Vir- 
ginia, with  Gov.  Dinwiddie  at  its  head,  known  as  the 
Ohio  Company.  The  grant  originally  made  by  the  Brit- 
ish crown  to  that  company,  in  1748,  for  six  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  land,  had  afterward  been  transferred, 
in  greater  part,  to  the  Washington  family ;  and  in  such 
enterprising  hands,  measures  speedily  were  taken  to  as- 
certain the  precise  positions  of  the  French,  and  establish 
a  fortress  on  the  Ohio  River.  Gist,  the  company's  sur- 
veyor, soon  carried  the  compass  and  chain  as  far  down  as 
the  falls  at  Louisville,  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  Indians. 

The  summer  of  1753  brought  with  it,  to  the  middle 
provinces,  the  startling  intelligence  that  the  French 
troops,  having  crossed  Lake  Erie  and  fortified  Presque 
Isle,  had  also  erected  military  posts  on  the  northern  trib- 
utaries of  the  Ohio.  Dinwiddie  immediately  dispatched 
George  Washington  with  a  message  to  the  intruders, 


MISSION  OF  WASHINGTON  TO  THE  FRENCH.        89 

requiring  their  removal  from  the  English  territory.  The 
distance  through  the  wilderness  to  the  French  posts  was 
six  hundred  miles.  It  was  late  in  the  season  before  the 
messenger  was  ready  to  depart.  Washington  took  with 
him  a  company  of  eight  men.  He  traveled  to  the  border 
with  horses,  carrying  tents,  baggage,  and  provisions. 
The  little  cavalcade  attracted  much  attention  as  it  passed 
slowly  through  the  remote  settlements,  scattered  at  the 
foot  of  the  mountains.  Toward  the  close  of  November — 
a  month  dreary  with  storms  of  rain  and  snow — the  com- 
pany plunged  through  the  forest,  and  wound  along  beneath 
the  dripping  branches.  The  snow  already  lay  on  the 
mountains.  Reaching  the  Monongahela,  "Washington 
passed  down  it  in  canoes  to  its  junction  with  the  Alle- 
ghany,  and  then  up  the  latter  river  to  Venango.  There 
he  saw  the  French  flag  flying  over  the  captured  dwelling 
of  an  English  trader.  He  was  referred  to  the  command- 
ing officer  at  Fort  Le  Boeuf,  on  French  creek,  a  few  miles 
south  of  Presque  Isle.  Repairing  thither  to  deliver  his 
message,  the  officer  replied,  that  he  would  forward  it  to 
Canada ;  but  that,  in  the  meanwhile,  he  should  hold  pos- 
session of  the  country  for  the  French.  Washington's 
journey,  going  and  returning,  occupied  four  months. 
This  mission  confirmed  thl  truthfulness  of  the  rumors  of 
the  preceding  summer.  It  became  evident  that  the  time 
for  immediate  action  had  arrived.  The  French  had  then 
to  be  forestalled  in  their  progress  toward  the  other  parts 
of  the  territory,  and  driven  out  of  their  present  fastnesses, 
or  the  whole  West  would  have  to  be  abandoned  to  them. 
Early,  therefore,  in  the  following  spring,  Captain  Trent, 
and  a  company  of  backwoodsmen,  crossed  over  the  moun- 
tains, from  Virginia  to  the  Ohio,  with  instructions  to  for- 
tify the  point  at  the  confluence  of  the  Monongahela  and 
Alleghany  rivers.  The  Virginians  had  begun  the  erection 


90  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

of  a  fort,  and  the  woods  were  resounding  to  the  axes, 
when,  suddenly,  they  were  attacked  by  a  host  of  French 
and  Indians,  who,  with  sixty  boats  and  three  hundred 
bark-canoes,  had  descended  from  Venango  to  expel  them 
from  the  territory.  Captain  Trent  was  obliged  to  with- 
draw in  great  discomfiture  toward  Virginia.  At  the 
same  time,  Washington  himself  was  advancing  in  con- 
siderable force  beyond  the  border ;  but,  hearing  of  Cap- 
tain Trent's  disaster,  he,  also,  fell  back;  after  having 
captured  a  large  detachment  of  the  enemy,  and  after 
fighting  all  day  long  against  fearful  odds,  at  the  Great 
Meadows.  The  disputed  territory  still  remained  in  the 
possession  of  the  French.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
old  French  war.  Thus,  in  the  forest,  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  was  kindled  a  war  between 
England  and  France,  which  involved  in  its  struggles  half 
the  kingdoms  of  Europe.  The  contending  parties  were 
also  on  the  Ganges  as  well  as  on  the  Ohio.  America, 
Europe,  and  Asia,  furnished  each  the  great  theaters  for 
military  display.  Battles  were  being  fought  at  one  and 
the  same  time  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  globe.  But  in 
America  the  war  assumed  a  new  and  striking  aspect.  A 
wilderness  concealed  the  combatants.  Army  met  army 
under  the  shadows  of  primeval  forests :  and  when  they 
did  come  together,  the  ax  of  the  pioneer  had  to  hew  a 
passage  for  the  bayonet  of  the  soldier. 

Upon  the  retreat  of  Captain  Trent,  the  French  pro- 
ceeded with  the  fortifications  which  he  had  abandoned. 
They  named  the  new  fort  Fort  Du  Quesne.  The  war 
thus  begun  continued  for  five  years.  That  whole  period 
was  one  of  great  suffering  to  (he  English  colonists,  who, 
perceiving  the  extent  of  their  danger,  spared  no  pains  to 
avert  it.  General  Braddock  had  been  defeated  and  slain 
on  the  banks  of  the  Monongahela;  — but  Nova  Scotia  and 


ENGLISH    EMIGRATION.  91 

New  Brunswick  had  fallen  to  the  English.  The  expedi- 
tions against  Niagara  and  Crown  Point  had  failed; — but 
a  French  army  had  been  put  to  utter  rout  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Hudson ;  and  their  general,  Dieskau,  taken 
prisoner.  The  tide  of  war  had  at  last  fully  turned  in 
favor  of  the  English.  General  Amherst  had  captured 
Fort  Du  Quesne ;  Colonel  Bradstreet  had  destroyed  Fort 
Frontenac;  and  General  Wolfe  had  taken  Quebec.  On 
the  eighth  day  of  September,  1760,  the  Marquis  de  Vau- 
dreuil  surrendered  Canada,  with  all  its  dependencies,  to 
the  British  crown. 

The  Great  West  at  last  was  open  to  English  emigra- 
tion; the  French  no  longer  were  standing  in  the  way. 
But  the  western  Indians  were  not  included  in  the  peace ; 
and  though  deserted  by  the  surrender  of  their  white 
allies,  the  Indians  were  not  dismayed.  During  the  war, 
they  had  been  taught  by  the  French  to  believe  that  the 
sole  object  of  the  English  was  to  get  possession  of  all 
the  fine  lands  in  the  country.  They,  therefore,  became 
desperate  in  their  determination  to  resist  the  advance  of 
the  settlements,  and  were  preparing,  under  Pontiac,  to 
renew  the  war,  for  the  security  of  their  ancient  hunting- 
grounds  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi. 

The  West  in  the  main  was  then  a  howling  wilderness, 
promising,  indeed,  for  the  future;  but  for  the  present 
grandly  desolate,  and  dangerous  to  English  emigration. 
Over  the  vast  tract  of  the  Indian  country  was  spread  out 
one  continuous  forest,  covering  all  the  land,  sweeping 
over  hill  and  hollow  in  endless  undulation,  burying  moun- 
tains in  masses  of  verdure,  and  darkening  the  streams 
from  the  light  of  day.  Green  intervals  dotted  with  deer, 
and  broad  plains  blackened  by  herds  of  buffaloes,  alone 
broke  the  sameness  of  the  woodland  scenery.  And  to 
these  natural  openings  must  be  added  the  sparse  and 


92  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

•widely-scattered  settlements  of  the  French.  Throughout 
that  vast  wilderness  of  woods  were  roaming  Indian 
hunting-parties,  and  war-parties,  hostile  to  each  other; 
but,  under  French  influence,  grown  more  hostile  toward 
the  English.  Taking  advantage  of  this  feeling,  common 
to  all  the  western  and  northern  Indians,  Pontiac,  a  great 
chieftain,  began  combining  all  the  tribes  in  one  savage 
confederation  to  surprise  and  exterminate  the  hated  race. 
His  arrangements  were  being  made,  over  a  territory  of  a 
thousand  miles  in  width,  among  hundreds  of  different 
chiefs  and  warriors,  with  the  characteristic  secresy  of  the 
Indian  nature.  Not  one  single  solitary  indication  of  the 
approaching  danger  reached  an  English  eye,  while  all  the 
horrid  elements  of  war  in  its  most  savage  form  were 
gathering  along  the  whole  frontier. 

But,  immediately  upon  the  fall  of  Canada,  while  the 
Indians  were  yet  concocting  their  scheme  of  indiscrim- 
inate slaughter,  it  remained  to  the  English  to  complete 
the  work  of  French  subjugation,  by  taking  possession  of 
the  military  posts  upon  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash,  at 
Detroit,  Michilimackinac,  and  Green  Bay.  The  execu- 
tion of  that  task  was  both  difficult  and  dangerous.  The 
nearest  of  these  ports  was  six  hundred  miles  from  any 
English  colony,  and  they  also  were  hundreds  of  miles 
apart  from  each  other.  The  route  to  them  led  through 
the  midst  of  the  exasperated  allies  of  the  French;  but, 
fortunately,  these  allies,  for  the  time,  were  bewildered 
and  confounded.  The  perilous  expedition  to  these  dis- 
tant parts  of  the  Indian  country  was  committed  to  the 
charge  of  Major  "Rogers — a  man  eminently  qualified  to 
perform  that  duty  with  speed  and  success. 

Robert  Rogers  was  born  in  New  Hampshire.  He  was 
tall,  broad-shouldered,  athletic.  His  features  were  stern, 
almost  rugged.  His  constitution  and  temper  were  aa 


ROGERS'  RANGERS.  93 

tough  as  the  granite  of  his  native  hills.  "With  a  mind 
remarkably  active,  and  leading  a  roving  life,  he  was  by 
no  means  uncultivated.  His  letters  show  that  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  thinking  closely,  quickly,  and  to  the  point ; 
and  they  are  written  in  a  pithy,  forcible  style.  Having 
been  kept  engaged,  for  many  years,  in  frontier  warfare 
with  the  savage  hordes  that  poured  into  New  England 
from  the  north,  he  had  become  versed  in  all  the  arts  of 
woodcraft — in  all  the  wiles  of  Indian  cunning.  He  was 
sagacious,  prompt,  decisive,  fearless ;.  yet  so  cautious  and 
so  prudent  that  he  has  sometimes  been  charged,  most  un- 
justly, with  cowardice.  He  never  acted  from  impulse. 
Constitutionally  wary,  he  had  grown  more  so  by  expe- 
rience. Neither  passion  nor  the  surprise  of  sudden 
danger  could  start  him  one  jot.  All  his  movements, 
even  the  most  critical,  were  dictated  by  cool,  deliberate 
calculation. 

Major  Rogers  stood  high  as  a  partisan  officer.  He  was 
in  command  of  a  body  of  provincial  rangers,  who,  like 
their  chief,  had  become  inured  to  the  hardships  and  perils 
of  the  border.  Rogers'  Rangers  were  equally  hunters, 
woodsmen,  and  soldiers.  Armed,  like  the  Indians,  with 
rifles,  tomahawks,  and  knives,  they  were  trained  in  tac- 
tics of  their  own,  peculiarly  adapted  to  wild  bush-fight- 
ing. The  principal  theater  of  their  action  had  been 
among  the  mountains  around  lakes  George  and  Cham- 
plain,  between  the  hostile  fortresses  at  Ticonderoga  and 
Crown  Point.  These  solitudes  had  often  been  awakened 
by  the  frightful  warwhoop,  and  the  answering  shout  of 
the  fearless  rangers.  In  summer  time,  they  had  passed 
up  and  down  those  eastern  lakes  in  whale-boats  and 
canoes,  or  threaded  their  way  over  the  shores  in  single 
file,  creeping  around  rocks,  peering  out  from  behind  trees, 
with  all  the  caution  of  experienced  Indian  warriors. 


94  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Dressed  in  gray  homespun,  with  close-fitting  caps,  and 
soft  moccasins,  they  moved  along  like  shadows.  In  win- 
ter time,  they  had  tramped  through  the  woods  and 
swamps  on  snow-shoes;  or,  putting  on  skates,  they  had 
flown  over  the  glary  ice  with  the  speed  of  the  wind;  at 
night  they  had  slept  in  the  drifting  snows.  The  rangers 
had  become  a  terror  to  the  Canadian  Indians.  The  sav- 
ages did  not  feel  safe  for  a  single  moment  while  passing 
through  that  region.  Their  white  foemen  had  become  as 
subtle  as  themselves,  and  ten-fold  more  persistent. 
Storms  of  rain  or  driving  sleet  afforded  no  security, 
for  the  rangers  had  become  accustomed  to  face  every- 
thing and  endure  everything,  and  would  hunt  a  Canadian 
Indian  to  death  in  the  track  of  a  thunderbolt.  The  ran- 
gers were  not  naturally  blood-thirsty ;  but  some  of  them 
had  been  present  when  their  own  brothers  and  sisters  had 
been  butchered  and  scalped;  others  had  seen  from  a  dis- 
tance the  paternal  dwelling  wrapped  in  flames,  and  the 
father,  and  the  mother,  the  guileless  child,  the  helpless 
infant,  all  consumed;  others  had  themselves  been  taken 
captive,  their  flesh  stuck  full  of  burning  splinters, 
scourged,  shot  at,  mocked  at,  in  their  agony.  All  of 
them  had  wrongs  like  these,  of  their  own,  or  of  their  kin- 
dred, to  avenge,  the  very  remembrance  of  which  made 
their  sinews  like  triple  steel.  The  achievements  of  the 
rangers,  their  rapid  marches  and  counter-marches,  their 
determined  fighting,  their  midwinter  battles,  had  made 
them  famous  throughout  America. 

On  the  evening  of  the  twelfth  of  September,  1760, 
Major  Rogers  received  orders  to  ascend  the  lakes  with  a 
detachment  of  rangers,  and  take  possession  of  the  forts 
included  in  the  late  capitulation.  The  troops  were  then 
encamped  at  Montreal.  He  embarked  with  two  hundred 
rangers,  in  whale-boats,  and  swept  along  with  steady 


SUCCESS   OF   ROGERS.  95 

strokes  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  Winding  through  the 
channels  among  the  Thousand  Islands  into  Lake  Ontario, 
they  skirted  the  northern  shore.  The  weather  was  rough, 
and  their  progress  slow.  They  did  not  reach  Niagara 
before  the  first  day  of  October.  Then  their  boats  had  to 
be  carried  over  the  difficult  portage  around  the  falls. 
Having  seen  his  expedition  safely  afloat  above  the  cata- 
ract, Rogers,  with  a  small  company,  hastened  on  foot  to 
Pittsburgh,  with  dispatches  for  General  Markton.  He 
rejoined  his  command  at  P-resque  Isle  about  the  close  of 
the  month.  The  prospect,  as  they  hugged  along  the  shore, 
was  dreary  enough.  The  chilly  winds  came  sweeping 
across  the  lake.  The  yellow-leaved  beeches  and  maples 
were  shedding  their  foliage.  Dark  clumps  of  hemlock 
and  pine  frowned  gloomily  over  the  shores.  On  the  sev- 
enth day  of  November,  the  little  fleet  swept  into  Cuyahoga 
River.  The  British  flag  had  never  before  been  carried  so 
far  westward.  The  fall  rains  having  set  in,  the  rangers 
encamped  on  the  bank  until  the  twelfth. 

Soon  after  the  landing  of  the  rangers,  a  party  of 
Indians  entered  the  camp,  proclaiming  themselves  an 
embassy  from  Pontiac,  ruler  of  all  that  country,  and 
requiring  the  English  to  proceed  no  further  without  his 
permission.  Before  the  close  of  the  day  Pontiac  himself 
approached,  with  a  number  of  chiefs,  and  demanded  to 
know  Rogers'  business  in  that  country.  This  was  ex- 
plained to  him.  Pontiac  replied  that  he  should  stand  in 
the  way  of  the  English  until  morning.  He  withdrew  at 
dusk.  The  rangers,  suspecting  treachery,  stood  well  on 
their  guard  throughout  the  night.  In  the  morning  Pon- 
tiac returned,  and  made  a  more  formal  reply,  in  substance, 
that  he  was  willing  to  live  at  peace  with  the  English,  and 
suffer  them  to  remain  in  his  country,  so  long  as  they 
should  treat  him  with  deference. 


96  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

That  wily  chief  had  been  a  fast  ally  of  the  French. 
The  American  forest  never  produced  a  man  more  shrewd, 
politic,  ambitious.  He  saw  the  French  power  waning,  and 
he  would  no  longer  openly  prop  a  falling  cause.  By 
appearing  friendly  with  the  English,  he  would  gain  time 
to  bring  about  concert  of  action  among  the  disjointed 
tribes.  He  would  seek  to  lull  the  English  into  fatal 
security.  A  blow  too  soon,  though  successful,  would  be 
ruinous.  It  would  thwart  the  scheme  of  combining  the 
whole  Indian  race  in  one  universal  war  of  extermination. 
It  would  bring  the  hated  English  upon  the  tribes  sepa- 
rately, to  destroy  them  by  piecemeal.  These  may  have 
been  the  reasons  why  Pontiac  should  dissemble,  and 
assume  the  offices  of  friendship,  and  offer  Rogers  any 
supplies  which  he  might  have  stood  in  need  of. 

The  whale-boats  of  the  rangers,  toward  the  close  of 
November,  began  moving  up  slowly  between  the  low 
banks  of  the  Detroit  River.  At  last,  the  uniformity  of 
marsh  and  wood-lands  was  relieved  by  the  appearance 
of  Canadian  houses,  on  either  side,  —  the  outskirts  of  the 
secluded  settlement.  Before  them,  in  the  distance,  was 
seen  the  French  flag,  flying  above  the  bark  roofs  and 
weather-stained  palisades  of  the  fortified  town.  In  obe- 
dience to  the  English  summons,  the  garrison  laid  down 
their  arms,  and  the  red  cross  of  England  rose  to  the  peak 
of  the  flag-staff.  This  was  on  the  twenty -ninth  day  of 
November,  17GO.  The  garrison  were  sent  prisoners 
down  the  lake.  The  inhabitants  were  disarmed.  An 
officer  was  dispatched  southward  to  take  possession  of  the 
forts  Miami  and  Ouatanon,  which  guarded  the  communi- 
cations with  the  Ohio  River.  The  gathering  storms  of 
winter,  and 'the  drifting  ice  from  Lake  Huron,  prevented 
Rogers  proceeding  further.  Besides,  his  company  had 
been  weakened  by  the  detachments  sent  off  to  the  south, 


ENGLISH    CONQUEST.  97 

and  seven  hundred  Indians  were  reported  to  be  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Detroit.  Upon  the  return  of 
spring,  Michilimackinac,  St.  Mary's,  Green  Bay,  and  St. 
Josephs  were  delivered  up  to  the  English.  Nothing  was 
left  to  the  power  of  the  French,  except  their  posts  on  the 
Mississippi,  not  included  in  the  capitulation  of  Montreal. 
The  conquest  appeared  to  have  been  consummated. 

The  English,  having  gone  into  possession  of  the  ter- 
ritory yielded  up  to  them  after  five  years  of  incessant 
war,  succeeded  to  all  the  rights  of  the  French.  The 
English  flag  was  waving  over  the  fortresses  along  tho 
Ohio  and  around  the  great  lakes.  But  the  West  was  an 
immense  region,  accessible  only  to  the  most  fearless  and 
hardy  adventurers.  The  forts  were  altogether  insignifi- 
cant, when  compared  with  the  extent  of  country  to  be 
awed  'into  submission  by  them.  A  few  hundred  men, 
broken  up  into  small  detachments,  stationed  at  prodigious 
distances  from  each  other,  were  charged  with  the  keeping 
of  nearly  half  the  continent.  The  hands  of  the  French 
were,  indeed,  tied  by  the  treaty.  It  was  supposed  that 
the  Indians,  now  their  civilized  allies  had  been  con- 
quered, would  offer  but  little  resistance  to  English  power. 
Peace,  it  was  hoped,  would  continue  pretty  much  unbro- 
ken. All  the  wars  with  the  Indians — all  the  savage 
inroads  into  English  territory — had,  for  more  than  a  gener- 
ation, been  ascribed  to  the  machinations  of  the  French  in 
Canada.  In  every  hostile  war-party  that,  within  the 
remembrance  of  the  living,  had  brought  conflagration 
and  slaughter  into  the  English  homes,  the  sword  and  the 
tomahawk  had  been  seen  to  gleam  together.  The  fall  of 
Canada  had,  indeed,  been  a  terrible  blow  to  the  western 
Indians.  They,  for  a  while,  were  staggering  from  the 
effects  of  it.  They  were  agitated  for  a  season  by  conflict- 
5  G 


98  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

ing  emotions  and  passions.  Surprise  at  the  overthrow  of 
their  great  ally,  wonder  at  the  sudden  growth  of  their 
enemy  bewildered  them,  and  held  their  hatred  of  the 
English  in  suspense.  The  woods  appeared  to  be  all 
quiet.  The  Indians  appeared  submissive.  But  before 
two  years  had  elapsed,  the  delusion  of  the  English  was 
dispelled,  and  the  whole  "West  was  wrapped  in  flame. 


TRADING  WITH  THE   INDIANS.  99 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Manner  of  trading  with  the  Indians  —  Early  routes  to  the  West  —  The 
Albany  route  —  The  Philadelphia  route  —  The  Indian  trader — His 
dress  —  Trading  stations  —  The  Indian's  notion  of  the  surveyor's 
compass  and  chain  —  The  Acadians  —  Destruction  of  their  prop- 
erty —  Transported  to  the  sea-coast  —  They  gather,  and  emigrate  in  a 
body  to  the  French  settlements —  Received  with  great  hospitality  — 
The  Indian  character. 

AT  the  close  of  the  old  French  war,  the  English  settle- 
ments extended  from  Georgia  to  Maine,  along  the  Atlan- 
tic, and  reached  in  from  the  coast  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  to  the  mountains  —  a  narrow  border  of  civili- 
zation upon  the  edge  of  the  dark  back-ground  of  wilder- 
ness. Hostile  military  posts  no  longer  frowned  upon  the 
western  waters.  Bold,  adventurous  men  were  eager  to 
penetrate  the  wilds.  Ever  since  Major  McGregory  had 
been  plundered  on  Lake  Huron,  English  traders  had  been 
impatient  to  secure  to  themselves  the  traffic  with  the 
Indians.  The  rich  furs  could  be  bought  for  a  song.  A 
few  strings  of  beads,  gaudy  ribbons,  hatchets,  knives,  gun- 
powder, and  lead,  and  a  little  poor  whisky,  was  all  the 
stock  required  for  the  trade.  In  the  distant  forest,  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  law,  dealing  with  ignorant  sav- 
ages, a  system  of  cheating  could  be  carried  on  with  impu- 
nity, and  enormous  profits  could  be  realized.  The  trader's 
goods  .were  disposed  of  in  packages,  or  by  the  piece,  at 
prices  regulated  by  his  own  greediness.  Competition 
would  seem  to  have  been  impossible.  Whatever  was 
bought  of  the  Indians  was  bought  by  weight;  a  white 
man's  hand  placed  on  the  scale  was  allowed  to  weigh  a 
pound,  and  his  foot  five  pounds.  It  is  needless  to  say, 


100  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

that  the  weights  grew  heavier  in  proportion  to  the  value 
of  the  furs  that  swung  at  the  other  end  of  the  beam. 
Even  though  the  bargaining  may  have  been  conducted 
honestly  throughout,  the  trader's  goods  were  unconscion- 
ably dear,  while  the  Indian's  goods  were  rated  at  merely 
nominal  prices.  With  such  golden  opportunities  before 
them,  on  the  return  of  peace  the  greedy  traders  hastened 
into  the  West. 

The  American  forest,  in  1761,  may  be  compared  with 
the  sea,  in  this  respect :  the  sea  had  its  ports,  and  the 
forest  had  its  places  of  rendezvous  and  outfit.  While 
the  former  were  thronged  with  merchants  and  seamen, 
the  latter  were  swarming  with  traders  and  borderers. 
The  ocean  and  the  woods  were  alike  lawless  and  perilous. 
In  the  northern  provinces  there  were  two  important  places 
for  fitting  out  for  the  wilderness.  Albany  and  Philadel- 
phia were  competing  with  each  other  for  the  monopoly  of 
the  trade  of  the  West.  Both  held  communications  imme- 
diately with  the  sea ;  and  they  had  each  a  peculiar  mode 
of  inland  transportation.  Their  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages were  about  equally  balanced.  Albany  had 
intercourse  with  the  interior  by  means  of  rivers  and  the 
great  lakes;  Philadelphia,  overland,  and  through  the 
head-waters  of  the  Ohio.  The  route  from  Albany  was 
interrupted  by  frequent  carrying-places ;  that  from  Phila- 
delphia by  a  double  chain  of  mountains. 

Availing  themselves  of  the  opportunity  for  developing 
the  western  trade,  which  the  surrender  of  Canada  had, 
for  the  first  time,  afforded  them,  large  swarms  of  traders 
set  out  from  Albany  and  from  Philadelphia  with  such 
kinds  of  goods  as  wrere  thought  most  likely  to  please  their 
savage  customers.  Those  who  went  by  the  more  northern 
route,  passed  up  the  Mohawk  in  boats  or  canoes,  paddling 
where  the  current  was  not  too  swift,  and  at  other  times 


LIEUTENANT   GORRELL'S   DIARY.  101 

working  their  way  against  the  stream  with  setting-poles. 
The  latter  process  was  called  "punting."  Passing  by 
Fort  Hunter,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Schoharie  creek,  and 
Fort  Herkimer,  at  German  Flats,  they  would  make  a  halt 
for  a  while  at  Fort  Stanwix,  now  Rome,  at  the  head  of 
river  navigation.  Thence  crossing  through  the  swamp  to 
Wood  creek,  they  would  again  embark.  The  channel  of 
that  creek  was  so  crooked,  that  it  is  said  to  have  run 
through  in  the  night  and  got  lost.  Taking  to  the  oars 
once  more,  on  Oneida  Lake,  they  would  pass  Fort  Brew- 
erton  by  the  outlet  to  the  Oswego  River,  which  was  once 
a  broad,  deep,  clear  stream,  before  the  canal  was  dug 
along  its  banks ;  but,  on  account  of  that,  the  river  is  said 
to  have  been  running  swamp  water,  from  sheer  mortifica- 
tion, ever  since.  Shooting  the  falls,  they  would  soon 
arrive  at  Lake  Ontario.  The  rest  of  the  way  was  plain 
sailing,  except  the  long  portage  at  Niagara. 

The  troops  often  followed  this  route.  Lieutenant  Gor- 
rell,  in  1763,  passed  over  it  with  a  detachment  of  soldiers. 
His  diary  shows  some  of  the  inconveniences  which 
attended  upon  him :  "  July  2d.  Dined  with  Sir  William, 
at  Johnson  Hall.  The  office  of  superintendent  very 
troublesome.  Sir  William  continually  plagued  with  In- 
dians about  him — generally  from  three  hundred  to  nine 
hundred  in  number — spoil  his  garden,  and  keep  his  house 
always  dirty. 

"  10th.  Punted  and  rowed  up  the  Mohawk  River 
against  the  stream,  which,  on  account  of  the  rapidity  of 
the  current,  is  very  hard  work  for  the  poor  soldiers.  En- 
camped on  the  banks  of  the  river.  Musquitoes.  The 
inconveniences  attending  a  married  subaltern  strongly 
appear  in  this  tour.  What  with  the  sickness  of  their 
wives,  the  squealing  of  their  children,  and  the  smallness 
of  their  pay,  I  think  the  gentlemen  discover  no  common 


102  THE   GEEAT   WEST. 

share  of  philosophy  in  keeping  themselves  from  run- 
ning mad. 

"Monday,  14th.  Went  on  horseback  by  the  side  of 
Wood  creek,  twenty  miles,  to  the  Royal  Block-house,  a  kind 
of  wooden  castle,  proof  against  any  Indian  attacks.  It 
is  now  abandoned  by  the  troops,  and  a  sutler  lives  there, 
who  keeps  rum,  milk,  raccoons,  etc.,  which,  though  none 
of  the  most  elegant,  is  comfortable  to  strangers  passing 
that  way." 

When  the  Albany  traders  had  arrived  at  Presque  Isle, 
they  could  either  continue  on  up  the  lakes,  and  spread  out 
through  Michigan  and  the  north,  or  crossing  to  French 
creek,  and  down  the  Alleghany  River,  penetrate  into 
southern  Ohio  and  Indiana. 

From  Philadelphia,  the  route  led  over  to  the  Susque- 
hanna,  at  Harrisburgh ;  thence  up  the  valley  of  the  lovely 
Juniata,  winding  for  an  hundred  miles  through  scenes  of 
romantic  beauty ;  and  then  across  the  mountains  to  Pitts- 
burgh. .  Thence  following  down  the  Ohio,  the  traders 
could  ascend  its  tributaries  into  the  heart  of  the  north- 
west. More  commonly,  the  journeys  by  the  southern 
route  were  made  with  brigades  of  pack-horses,  loaded 
with  goods,  and  led  along  the  rugged  pathways  of  the 
mountains,  and  urged  on  through  thickets,  and  swimming 
the  rivers,  under  the  guidance  of  drivers  who  had  been 
trained  to  their  calling  in  the  midst  of  the  perils  of 
the  borders. 

That  class  of  frontiersmen  who  were  engaged  in  the 
Indian  trade  have  long  since  disappeared  from  the  re- 
gions of  their  former  renown.  They  were  rough,  bold 
men,  intractable  and  fierce.  During  their  seasons  of  re- 
pose among  the  homes  of  civilization,  they  kept  the  sober 
and  steady  people  in  constant  alarm  with  their  wild 
pranks.  They  loved  to  drink.  They  loved  to  dance  with 


FRONTIERSMEN.  1 03 

an  earnestness  and  noise  that  sounded  like  the  stamping 
of  horses.  They  loved  to  fight,  as  they  said,  to  keep 
from  "  spilin'."  After  sleeping  a  half  a  day  on  a  hard 
bench  in  a  bar-room,  they  would  rouse  up,  "  licker,"  go 
out  of  doors,  and  give  a  yell  that  would  scare  half  a 
township.  They  wore  coon-skin  caps ;  huge  blanket- 
coats,  or  hunting-shirts  of  smoked  deer-skin;  carried  a 
rifle,  knife,  and  tomahawk ;  made  use  of  enormous  pow- 
der-horns ;  and  smoked,  and  swore,  and  drank,  from  morn- 
ing till  night.  In  the  employ  of  a  principal  trader,  these 
tough,  fearless  men  would  push  ahead  into  the  depths  of 
the  wilderness,  shooting,  as  they  went  along,  at  a  deer  or 
at  an  Indian,  just  as  the  one  or  the  other  happened  to 
come  first  within  range.  When  the  trains  of  horses  had 
penetrated  far  enough  into  the  Indian  country,  the  owner 
of  the  goods  wonld  fix  his  head-quarters  at  some  village, 
whence  he  would  dispatch  his  subordinates  in  every  direc- 
tion, with  supplies  of  red  cloth,  tobacco,  paint,  beads,  and 
trinkets.  This  wild  kind  of  traffic  was  liable  to  every 
species  of  disorder.  And  the  overreaching  and  cheating 
of  the  traders,  in  the  end,  increased  the  exasperation  of 
the  Indians  against  the  English. 

In  a  very  short  period  of  time,  regular  trading-stations 
had  been  established  at  Pittsburgh,  on  the  Muskingum 
and  the  Miami,  at  Sandusky,  at  Detroit,  on  the  Maumee 
and  St.  Joseph's,  at  Michilimackinac  and  Green  Bay ; 
while  numerous  other  places,  on  the  branches  of  the 
great  rivers,  were  visited,  periodically,  for  the  purpose  of 
traffic.  When  the  traders  and  hunters  had  fairly  broken 
pathways  through  the  wilderness,  another  class  of  men 
speedily  followed  after  them.  The  agents  of  land  com- 
panies,and  surveyors, began  looking  up  valuable  tracts  of 
land,  running  lines  and  blazing  trees.  Now  nothing  dis- 
gusted the  Indians  so  much  as  this.  They  regarded  the 


104  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

surveyor,  squinting  over  his  compass,  and  making  marks 
on  trees  and  in  his  books,  as  the  white  man's  devil.  Ilo 
seemed  to  them  to  exercise  some  sort  of  enchantment 
over  their  lands, by  means  of  which  the  English  got  into 
the  possession  of  them.  Squatting  on  their  haunches 
around  the  wigwam-fires,  they  would  talk  it  all  over  to 
one  another,  how  the  magical  instruments  stuck  on  the 
top  of  a  stick  would  turn  toward  all  the  best  lands,  and 
how  the  chain  would  bind  all  fast  to  the  white  man. 

These  rude  notions  respecting  the  power  of  the  sur- 
veyor's compass  and  chain  were  confirmed  by  the  stories 
of  the  Delawares,  and  other  tribes  that  had  been  de- 
frauded of  their  lands  in  the  older  provinces.  .The  mis- 
erable remnants,  driven  from  their  hunting-grounds.,  had 
sought  a  refuge  beyond  the  Alleghanies,  and,  mingling 
with  the  Indians  there,  had  taught  them  to  regard  these 
instruments  with  astonishment  and  fear.  "Wherever  the 
chain  had  been  drawn,  settlements  would  surely  follow, 
the  woods  would  be  cut  down,  and  the  Indians  expelled. 
The  French,  also,  had  encouraged  the  notion,  and  had 
founded  an  argument  upon  it  to  induce  the  Indians  to  take 
sides  against  the  English.  And  although  Canada  had 
fallen,  Upper  Louisiana  was  still  a  colony  of  France,  and 
included  the  forts  and  settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  and 
Fort  Massac  on  the  Ohio,  forty  miles  above  its  mouth. 
From  these,  agents  and  traders  were  going  forth  among 
the  tribes  with  whom  they  had  held  friendly  intercourse 
for  nearly  a  century,  and  perceiving  the  cause  of  the  dis- 
satisfaction, they  strove  to  promote  it,  in  the  hope  of 
regaining  their  lost  territory  in  the  event  of  a  general 
Indian  war. 

About  this  same  time  an  event  occurred  which  greatly 
strengthened  the  charge  of  rapacity  brought  against  the 
English,  and  served  to  convince  the  Indians  that  there 


THE  ACADIANS  WRONGED.  105 

could  be  no  safety  in  permitting  the  hated  race  to  exist 
on  the  continent.  It  seems  that  during  the  late  war, 
England  had  committed  one  of  those  acts  of  oppression 
which  can  only  be  justified,  if  at  all,  by  appealing  to  the 
terrible  emergencies  of  military  strife.  Acadia  adjoined 
Canada.  The  inhabitants  of  both  colonies  had  sprung 
from  the  same  stock,  spoke  the  same  language,  professed 
the  same  faith.  They  had  been  united  in  their  history. 
They  had  entertained  the  same  prejudices.  They  had 
cherished  the  same  hopes ;  and  both  had  participated  in  a 
common  hatred  of  the  English.  Upon  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war,  which  had  raged  clear  round  the  globe,  and 
had  involved  the  most  civilized  as  well  as  the  most  sav- 
age nations,  it  was  feared  that  the  Acadians  might  do 
more  than  sympathize  with  their  kindred ;  and  that,  by 
joining  with  the  other  French  and  the  Indians,  they 
would  make  the  burden  of  the  war  in  America  too  great 
for  England  a,nd  the  English  provinces  to  bear.  The 
situation  of  the  English  on  this  continent  was  then  far 
more  critical  than  at  any  other  period  since  the  first  set- 
tlements at  Plymouth  and  at  Jamestown.  A  powerful 
enemy  was  in  all  the  north,  with  fortresses  and  troops 
extending  half  way  from  ocean  to  ocean.  The  savages 
of  a  boundless  wilderness,  also,  were  in  arms  against  them. 
The  dwellings  of  Englishmen,  along  the  borders,  were 
blazing  in  midnight  conflagrations,  and  the  inhabitants, 
without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  were  butchered  with  horri- 
ble barbarity.  The  frightened  multitudes,  fleeing  from 
the  ghastly  terror,  were  crowding  into  the  Atlantic  cities. 
England,  therefore,  had  resolved  to  put  it  forever  out  of 
the  power  of  the  Acadians  to  take  part  with  her  numerous 
enemies.  A  fleet  was  dispatched  to  the  suspected  colony, 
commissioned  to  seize  the  inhabitants,  destroy  their  prop- 
erty, and  transport  them  to  the  coasts  of  New  Jersey, 
5* 


106  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

Delaware,  Maryland,  and  Virginia.  Thousands  of  those 
unfortunate  people  were  torn  from  their  homes,  and 
cast  upon  the  cold  charity  of  the  world.  Strangers  to 
our  language,  strangers  to  our  manners,  penniless,  help- 
less, their  mute  sorrow  had  touched  the  humanity  of  the 
Anglo-Americans,  who,  by  private  subscription  and  legis- 
lative bounty,  had  endeavored  to  soften  the  hardships  of 
their  terrible  lot.  The  work  of  despoiling  the  Acadians 
had  been  accomplished  with  a  zeal  bordering  on  ferocity. 
To  prevent  any  lingering  desire  of  home  prompting  them 
to  return,  they  were  not  only  stripped  of  their  money  and 
available  property,  but  they  had  been  compelled  to  look 
on  while  their  fields  were  being  wasted,  while  their  houses 
and  barns  were  burning,  and  their  flocks  and  herds 
slaughtered. 

The  treatment  of  the  Acadians  could  not  have  had  a 
tendency  to  lessen  their  dislike  of  British  rule.  The 
inhumanity  of  tearing  them  from  their  homes,  destroying 
all  their  possessions,  and  converting  the  places  of  their 
birth  into  a  desert,  had  been  too  great  to  be  atoned  for  by 
any  subsequent  acts  of  sympathy  and  kindness.  At 
length  the  peace  had  come.  Then,  with  a  spirit  honora- 
ble to  them,  and  honorable  to  human  nature,  they  deter- 
mined no  longer  to  eat  the  bread  of  charity  at  the  hands 
of  a  race  which  had  been  guilty  of  so  atrocious  an  offense 
against  the  rights  of  mankind.  Gathering  at  last  into 
one  of  the  middle  provinces,  a  band  of  desolate  outcasts, 
they  set  their  faces  toward  the  West.  A  thousand  miles 
of  wilderness  lay  between  them  and  the  French  settle- 
ments on  the  Mississippi ;  and  they  resolved  to  brave  its 
perils.  The  aged  grandsire,  tottering  on  his  staff;  the 
slender  child  ;  men  once  rich,  now  beggared  forever ;  wo- 
men with  infants  at  their  breasts ;  all,  all  undertook  the 
journey.  The  wilderness  never  beheld  a  more  melancholy 


HOSPITALITY   TO   THE   ACADIANS.  107 

spectacle  than  when  that  company  of  fugitives  passed 
into  its  shadows.  Some  died  by  the  way.  Some,  from 
exposure,  became  hopelessly  decrepit. 

After  a  while,  the  wanderers,  weary  and  foot-sore, 
reached  the  Ohio,  and  floated  down  in  canoes  and  on  rafts. 
They  were  received  at  the  French  settlements  with  great 
hospitality.  Every  house  was  flung  open  to  them. 
Everything,  in  fact,  was  done  to  promote  their  comfort. 
Lands  were  allotted  to  them.  Tools  and  seeds  were 
given  to  them.  Rations  were  furnished  them  from  the 
public  stores.  But  the  iron  had  entered  too  deeply  into 
their  souls.  Many  pined  away  and  died  broken-hearted. 
Those  who  survived  perpetuated  their  hatred  of  the 
English  name.  The  wrongs  of  the  Acadians  were  relat- 
ed from  village  to  village.  The  dancers  stopped  in  the 
midst  of  their  graceful  movements  ;  the  herdsman  for- 
sook his  flocks;  the  hunters  and  voyagers  delayed  their 
departure,  to  listen  to  the  terrible  story.  Anger  was 
kindled  anew  in  every  Frenchman's  bosom.  Then  they 
carried  abroad  with  them  what  they  had  heard.  Where- 
ever  a  Frenchman  could  go  in  the  wilderness,  the  story 
flew.  Chiefs  in  council  listened  to  it,  and  saw  in  the  fate 
of  the  Acadians  the  fate  of  their  tribes.  The  story  was 
repeated  in  all  the  dialects  of  the  West,  and  helped  to 
bind  the  Indians  still  more  closely  with  the  French. 
From  that  time  forward,  their  common  enmity  to  the 
English  was  directed  to  the  development  of  a  great  plan 
of  extermination. 

Another  cause  which  also  tended  to  hasten  the  catas- 
trophe arose  from  the  impolitic  conduct  of  the  English 
toward  the  tribes  around  them.  The  Indian  nature  is 
peculiarly  constituted.  It  is  tough,  rugged,  and  inflexible. 
Its  strongest  element  is  inordinate  pride.  However  igno- 
rant he  may  be,  or  poverty-stricken,  or  whimsical,  the 


108  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Indian,  uncontaminated  with  the  vices  of  civilization,  has 
a  most  exalted  sense  of  character.  He  is  every  whit  a 
man ;  and,  in  his  own  opinion,  a  great  man.  An  insult 
seems  to  leave  a  scar  on  his  very  heart  The  remem- 
brance of  a  wrong  done  him  clings  to  him  through  life. 
His  hatred  is  the  most  bitter  of  all  hatreds ;  it  may  be 
smothered  for  a  time,  but  never  quenched.  Though  bare 
and  breechless,  he  walks  the  earth  with  all  the  dignity  of 
a  born  lord.  It  is  his  pride  that  makes  the  Indian  so 
stoical  as  he  is.  He  will  not  manifest  his  feelings.  He 
may  suffer  keenly ;  but  he  will  repress  every  expression  of 
pain.  It  would  be  unmanly  in  him  to  give  evidence  of 
distress.  His  pride  enables  him  to  endure  the  most  fright- 
ful torments  at  the  hands  of  his  enemies  without  flinching. 
When  tied  at  the  stake,  in  a  position  of  utter  helpless- 
ness, he  will  not  move  a  muscle,  though  the  explosion  of 
fire-arms  in  his  face  should  singe  off  his  eyebrows.  He 
will  not  so  much  as  wink,  though  the  tomahawk,  hurled 
whistling  through  the  air,  should  chip  the  top-knot  from 
his  head  within  an  ace  of  the  skin.  But  the  Indian's 
pride  is  fully  equaled  by  his  vanity. 

The  French  had  understood  the  Indian  character  far 
better  than  their  rivals,  and  they  had  adapted  their  policy 
to  it.  They  had  taken  advantage  of  his  overweening 
self-importance,  and  had  won  him  to  their  cause.  They 
had  treated  the  Indian  throughout,  with  the  most  flatter- 
ing attentions;  and  had  made  him  feel  as  though  they 
thought  about  as  much  of  him  as  he  thought  of  himself. 
He  could  withstand  the  nwst  awful  tortures,  but  he  could 
not  resist  the  crafty  appeals  to  his  vanity.  This  was  the 
secret  of  the  French  success  in  creating  and  maintaining 
alliances  with  the  Indian  tribes.  But  the  English,  on 
the  contrary,  had  been  altogether  unaccommodating  in 
their  treatment  of  the  Indian.  They  regarded  him  as  an 
intruder  on  the  soil,  and  he  regarded  them  in  the  same 


ILL-TREATMENT    OF  THE   INDIANS.  109 

light.  They  could  not  harmonize  in  any  respect  what- 
ever. An  Englishman,  upon  meeting  with  an  Indian  for 
the  first  time,  would  stand  and  stare  at  him  as  at  a  wild 
beast.  That  was  offensive.  But,  grown  more  familiar 
with  the  sight,  the  Englishman  would  not  notice  him  at 
all.  That  was  more  offensive  still.  Soon  the  Indian  had 
become  a  nuisance,  to  be  rudely  jostled  from  the  path; 
and  that  was  a  mortal  offense.  When  the  chiefs  visited 
the  forts,  they  were  no  longer  received,  as  before,  with 
every  mark  of  honor  and  distinction,  but  were  met  with 
coldness  and  suspicion,  or  with  utter  indifference.  The 
soldiers  would  make  fun  of  them,  mimic  the  tones  of 
their  voices  and  their  pompous  airs,  and  ridicule  their  ap- 
pearance generally.  The  very  boys  were  allowed  to 
tease  them  with  impertinent  questions,  call  them  nick- 
names, make  faces  at  them.  The  officers  would  not 
invite  them  to  the  tables;  but,  after  dinner,  would  send 
out  crusts  and  bones  to  them  in  the  yards  with  the  dogs. 
The  pride  of  the  Indians  was  constantly  wounded  by 
the  conduct  of  the  English.  Repeated  insults  had  been 
superadded  to  repeated  injuries.  The  sagacious  chiefs 
had  seen  the  surveyors  tramping  about  in  search  of  the 
choicest  lands,  and  they  believed  that  a  crowd  of  English- 
men would  soon  follow  after  them  to  destroy  all  the 
hunting-grounds.  They  had  seen  the  unprincipled  trad- 
ers cheating  their  people  out  of  their  property,  exchang- 
ing the  most  worthless  goods  for  the  richest  furs,  and 
making  them  foolish  with  strong  drink.  And  these  offen- 
sive things  were  not  accidental,  but  intentional.  Outrage 
had  been  reduced  to  a  system.  And  the  English  forts 
and  military  posts  had  become  like  so  many  springs  of 
bitter  water,  overflowing,  and  sending  out  their  poison- 
ous streams  further  and  further  through  the  wilderness. 
Such  a  state  of  things  could  not  last  much  longer.  A 
rupture  had  become  inevitable. 


110  THE   GREAT  WEST. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

PONTIAC'S  WAR. 

Pontiac  —  Indian  method  of  drilling  their  warriors  —  Pontiac  assem- 
bles a  council  —  Pontiac's  speech  —  His  dream  —  The  fort  at  De- 
troit —  Pontiac  inspects  the  fort  during  a  calumet  dauce  —  Pontiac's 
conspiracy  on  the  fort  at  Detroit  defeated  —  A  general  destruction 
of  the  forts  and  settlements  by  the  Indians  —  Stratagems  of  the 
game'  of  ball,  between  the  Ojibways  and  Sacs,  and  destruction  of 
Michilimackinac  —  Fall  of  Venaugo  —  Condition  of  the  frontier 
settlements  —  Colonel  Henry  Bouquet  —  His  victory  near  Fort 
Pitt  —  A  council  with  the  chiefs  —  Their  apology  for  the  war  — 
Bouquet's  reply  —  Orders  the  Indians  to  bring  in  all  their  prisoners 
before  giving  them  the  hand  of  friendship  —  Meeting  of  long-lost 
friends  —  Conclusion  of  the  Indian  war  —  Assassination  of  Pontiac. 

THE  English  colonies  were  illy  prepared  to  meet  the 
impending  war.  Those  armies  which  had  conquered 
Canada,  had  been  broken  up  and  dispersed.  The  rangers 
had  been  disbanded.  The  regulars  had  been  sent  home 
to  England.  There  remained  barely  troops  sufficient  to 
garrison  the  posts  in  the  Indian  country.  In  the  mean- 
while, the  deeply-rooted  hatred  of  their  oppressors  was 
urging  the  Indians  on  precipitately  to  action,  which 
would  have  much  weakened  the  effect  of  the  meditated 
blow,  and  have  given  the  English  time  for  preparation. 
But  a  master  mind  was  busy  restraining  the  impetuosity  of 
the  Indian  character,  and  wielding  a  moral  influence  over 
the  wild,  discordant  elements,  to  reduce  them  into  a  spe- 
cies of  military  order.  An  Indian  chieftain,  ruling  over 
a  large  confederacy,  with  broad,  comprehensive  views  of 
policy,  is,  indeed,  an  anomaly  in  the  history  of  the 
wilderness. 


PONTIAC'S   COISTFEDERACY.  Ill 

Pontiac,  the  great  leader  of  the  Indian  confederacy,  is 
reported  to  have  been  not  above  the  average  bight  of 
men.  But  his  muscular  form  is  said  to  have  been  re- 
markable for  its  symmetry  and  vigor.  His  features  were 
irregular.  His  complexion  was  darker  than  is  common 
with  the  Indian.  The  expression  of  his  face  was  bold, 
stern,  determined.  His  whole  bearing  was  imperious. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  war,  he  is  said  to  have 
been  about  fifty  years  old.  Ordinarily,  his  dress  con- 
sisted of  a  scanty  cloth,  girt  about  his  loins.  His  hair 
was  not  shaven,  but  hung  flowing  over  his  shoulders. 
Upon  great  occasions,  he  appeared  before  his  warriors, 
plumed  and  painted,  and  in  a  robe,  and  leggins,  and  moc- 
casins richly  ornamented,  in  the  most  impressive  style  of 
savage  art.  He  was  resolute,  wise,  and  eloquent.  His 
capacious  intellect  grasped  everything  within  the  range 
of  Indian  vision.  He  possessed  uncommon  force  of 
character ;  and  in  subtlety,  he  was  more  than  a  match 
for  the  wiliest  chieftains  of  his  race.  With  all  those  qual- 
ities which  distinguish  great  men,  it  was  his  misfortune 
to  have  been  born  an  Indian.  He  was  passionate,  treach- 
erous, and  cruel.  One  of  Nature's  noblemen  by  birth,  he 
had  been  reduced  by  circumstances  and  position  to  a 
savage.  His  splendid  genius  blazed  for  a  while  in  the 
wilderness  like  a  fallen  star. 

During  the  summer  of  1762  the  conspiracy  against  the 
English  had  ripened  to  perfection.  The  hour  of  ven- 
geance was  drawing  near.  The  danger  extended  the 
whole  length  of  the  western  border,  and  was  imminent  to 
all  the  middle  provinces.  Early  in  the  fall,  Pontiac  had 
dispatched  his  ambassadors  to  the  Indian  tribes.  He  had 
his  head-quarters  in  a  small,  secluded  island,  at  the  opening 
of  Lake  St.  Clair.  From  that  place  he  had  sent  his  mes- 
sages throughout  the  country  of  the  Ohio  and  its  tributaries ; 


112  THE   GEE  AT   WEST. 

through  the  vast  region  of  the  upper  lakes ;  through  the  wild 
fastnesses  of  the :  Ottawa  River;  through  the  entire  length 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  And  all  the  tribes  north 
of  the  Cherokee  country,  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 
great  plains  on  the  Missouri,  had  joined  in  the  conspiracy, 
including  even  the  Senecas,  one  of  the  Iroquois  nations. 

Pontiac  had  directed  that  the  blow  should  be  struck  in 
the  month  of  May  following.  The  m-ecise  time  had  been 
indicated  by  reference  to  the  changes  of  the  moon.  The 
tribes  had  been  counseled  to  make  a  general  and  an  instan- 
taneous rising.  Each  tribe  had  been  charged  with  the 
destruction  of  the  English  garrison  in  its  own  neighbor- 
hood. Then  they  were  to  fling  themselves  in  a  mass  on 
the  defenseless  colonists.  Throughout  the  recesses  of 
the  forest  the  preparations  for  war  had  already  been 
begun.  The  Indians,  indeed,  had  no  armies  to  drill  in 
complicated  tactics,  no  military  stores  to  provide;  but  a 
deep  personal  interest  in  the  approaching  contest  had  to 
be  awakened  in  every  warrior.  The  success  of  an  Indian 
campaign  would  be  dependent  on  the  intensity  of  the  pas- 
sion which  should  urge  each  one  on  to  heroic  deeds.  Con- 
cert of  action  could  be  secured  in  no  other  way  than  by 
bringing  similar  influences  to  bear  with  nearly  equal  force 
on  them  all.  That  was  the  scope  of  the  Indian  tactics. 

For  that  purpose,  the  Indian  war-songs  and  the  Indian 
war-dances  had  long  ago  been  devised.  These  were  pecu- 
liarly adapted  to  stimulate  savage  natures  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement.  Mere  animal  courage  always  will 
kindle  quickly,  by  contact  with  its  like,  into  a  fierce  and 
furious  flame.  Could  the  English,  in  1762,  have  pierced 
the  gloom  of  the  wilderness,  they  would  have  beheld  the 
enacting  of  scenes  of  demoniac  grandeur  that  would  have 
startled  them  from  their  fancied  security.  Throughout 
the  vast  region  of  lakes  and  rivers,  in  all  the  valleys, 


PEEPAEATIONS  FOR  HOSTILITIES.  113 

along  the  mountains,  and  the  heavily-timbered  plains, 
from  north  to  south,  from  east  to  west,  wherever  the 
blood-stained  hatchets  of  Pontiac  had  been  accepted,  the 
English  would  have  beheld  the  gathering  of  the  tribes  for 
the  rude  discipline  of  savage  warfare.  In  the  night-time, 
fires  would  have  been  seen  blazing  beneath  the  leafy  can- 
opies, and  sending  out  mingling  streams  of  light  and 
shadow  into  the  woods  around.  And  near  each  crackling 
heap  of  knots  and  brushwood,  they  would  have  seen  a 
post,  driven  firmly  in  the  earth,  and  so  painted  as  to  des- 
ignate the  enemy,  against  whom  the  direst  of  passions 
were  to  be  wrought  up  to  frenzy.  Within  the  gaping  circle 
of  women  and  children,  the  warriors  would  have  been 
seen,  all  painted  and  plumed,  swaying  with  fierce  exulta- 
tion at  the  expected  display  of  hatred  toward  the  white 
men.  Soon  they  would  have  beheld  a  savage,  leaping  and 
bounding  impulsively  within  the  ring,  with  brandished 
tomahawk,  as  if  in  the  act  of  rushing  on  a  foe,  and  the 
crowd,  pressing  and  jostling  each  other,  in  the  intensity  of 
excitement  more  nearly  about  him;  while  he,  loudly 
chanting  the  exploits  of  himself  and  his  ancestors,  with 
furious  gesticulations,  enacting  the  deeds  he  was  reciting, 
becoming  wholly  frantic  with  passion,  would  strike  at  the 
post  as  he  would  strike  an  enemy,  and  tear  the  scalp  from 
his  imaginary  victim.  Then  the  swarms  of  warriors, 
unable  longer  to  refrain  from  bursting  into  the  arena, 
would  have  been  seen  jumping,  and  stamping,  and  rushing 
and  leaping,  their  tomahawks  gleaming,  and  their  knives 
flashing,  hacking,  and  stabbing  the  air  in  the  fury  of  battle, 
exciting  themselves  and  each  other  to  madness. 

That  was  the  Indian  method  of  drilling  their  troops 
for  war.  Each  warrior  knew  how  to  use  his  weapons 
well.  But  the  midnight  pantomimes  of  murder  gave  him 
the  spirit  to  use  them  on  the  designated  foe.  When  all 


114  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

his  excitable  nature  had  been  concentrated  into  one  single 
burning  point,  he  was  ready  for  the  war-path.  From  that 
little  island  in  Lake  St.  Clair  had  gone  forth  an  influence 
that  had  kindled  hundreds  of  those  baleful  night-fires ; 
and  from  that  same  island  had  gone  forth  another  influ- 
ence, also,  that  had  restrained  the  fiercest  passions  of  an 
excitable  people,  until  the  hour  for  action  had  fully  come. 
Under  so  accomplished  a  leader  as  Pontiac,  and  following 
implicitly  his  directions,  the  Indians,  though  on  the  eve 
of  an  outbreak,  effectually  concealed  their  design.  With 
the  deep  dissimulation  of  the  race,  they  had  become 
more  friendly  in  their  intercourse  with  the  English,  in 
proportion  as  the  spring  was  advancing.  When  the 
troops  had  first  taken  possession  of  the  forts,  the  Indians 
had  come  thronging  within  the  inclosures,  to  gratify  their 
curiosity,  and  observe  the  ways  of  the  enemy,  against 
whom  they  had  been  so  long  at  war.  In  a  little  while, 
however,  having  become  disgusted  with  the  treatment 
which  they  had  received,  they  had  withdrawn  altogether 
to  the  woods.  And  the  soldiers  had  been  congratulating 
themselves  at  being  well  rid  of  the  nuisances.  But  while 
the  winter  of  1762-3  was  passing  away,  the  Indians  had 
begun  to  come  back  again,  in  a  most  desultory  manner 
and  from  different  quarters,  straggling  into  the  vicinities 
of  the  forts,  and  pitching  their  tents  a  little  way  off.  The 
warriors,  as  before,  would  hang  listlessly  around  near  the 
sentries,  or  squat  in  groups  in  the  corners  of  the  parade- 
grounds,  smoking  and  grunting,  apparently  undisturbed 
by  the  rude  taunts  and  jeers  of  the  soldiers,  and  would 
endure  to  be  poked  about  with  the  butt-ends  of  muskets 
without  even  a  show  of  displeasure.  They  would  beg, 
importunately  as  ever,  for  tobacco,  gunpowder,  and  whisky. 
Observing  this  humility  of  the  Indians,  the  English  offi- 
cers had  flattered  themselves  that  the  wilderness  was 


PONTIAC'S   COUNCIL.  115 

becoming  entirely  quiet.  Major  Gladwyn,  at  Detroit,  had 
written  in  March,  to  General  Amherst,  that,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  own  post,  the  savages  were  perfectly  tran- 
quil. While,  within  cannon-shot  from  where  that  deluded 
officer  was  writing,  lay  the  secluded  island  in  the  Lake 
St.  Clair,  where  Pontiac,  who  had  completed  his  prepara- 
tions for  the  general  rising,  was  planning  a  surprise  of 
the  very  fortress  of  which  the  major  was  in  command. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  April,  1763,  the  chiefs 
and  warriors  of  the  three  great  north-western  tribes,  in 
obedience  to  a  summons  from  Pontiac,  assembled  in  coun- 
cil on  the  banks  of  the  River  Ecorces.  The  spot  which 
had  been  selected  was  a  natural  meadow,  about  eight 
miles  below  Detroit.  As  the  bands  came  in  and  set  up 
their  lodges,  the  field  became  dotted  with  wigwams. 
There  were  the  Ojibways,  tall  and  naked,  with  their  quivers 
slung,  and  war-clubs  resting  in  the  hollows  of  their  arms. 
There  were  the  Ottawas,  close  wrapped  in  blankets. 
There  were  the  Wyandots,  flaunting  in  shirts  of  painted 
skins,  their  hair  adorned  with  feathers,  and  their  leggins 
with  bells.  The  assembly  were  seated  in  circles,  row 
within  row.  Around  were  the  women  and  the  young 
men;  further  off,  the  groups  of  children  and  ponies;  and 
beyond  all,  the  woods. 

Rising  in  the  midst,  Pontiac  addressed  them.  He  railed 
against  the  English,  dwelling  upon  their  rapacity,  their 
arrogance,  their  injustice.  He  said  the  English  had 
expelled  the  French,  and  were  only  waiting  for  some  pre- 
text to  turn  upon  the  Indians,  also,  and  destroy  them. 
He  told  them  that  the  French  king,  at  last,  had  awakened 
from  his  long  sleep,  and  had  heard  the  voices  of  his  red 
children  crying  to  him  from  the  woods;  that  he  was  com- 
ing in  his  big  war-canoes  to  wreak  vengeance  on  their 
enemies.  He  told  them  that  the  Indians  and  the  French 


116  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

together  should  again  strike  down  the  English,  as  they 
had  done  before,  on  the  field  of  Braddock's  defeat. 

Pontiac  then  strove  to  enlist  their  superstitious  feelings. 
He  told  them  that  the  Great  Spirit  was  angry  with  them 
for  permitting  the  English  to  live  among  them,  and  adopt- 
ing the  English  weapons  and  tools.  He  told  them  that  a 
great  prophet  had  been  mourning  over  the  destruction  of 
the  Indians,  and  had  become  desirous  of  learning  wisdom 
from  the  Master  of  Life,  but  he  was  ignorant  where  to 
find  him.  Then  he  had  fasted,  and  dreamed  dreams ; 
and  it  had  been  revealed  to  him,  that,  by  moving  forward 
in  a  straight  line,  he  should  reach  the  abode  of  the  Great 
Spirit.  The  prophet  had  provided  him  a  gun  and  pow- 
der-horn, ammunition,  and  a  kettle,  and  had  set  out  on 
his  journey.  On  the  evening  of  the  eighth  day,  he  had 
stopped  in  the  edge  of  a  prairie,  and  was  cooking  his 
meal,  when  he  saw  three  openings  into  the  woods,  and 
three  beaten  paths  entering  them.  Great  was  his  wonder, 
for  the  paths  grew  plainer  as  the  darkness  was  increasing. 
He  had  entered  the  largest  opening  a  short  way  into  the 
woods,  when  bright  flames  had  leaped  out  of  the  ground, 
blazing  before  him.  He  had  tried  a  second  path  with  the 
like  result.  But  he  had  followed  the  third  path  a  whole 
day,  when  he  came  to  a  mountain  of  dazzling  white- 
ness. It  was  steep,  and  the  prophet  had  despaired  of 
going  further.  Then  a  beautiful  woman  had  arisen,  as  he 
was  looking  upon  her,  and  she  said  to  him,  "  How  can 
you  hope  to  see  the  Master  of  Life !  with  your  gun,  and 
powder-horn,  ammunition,  and  kettle.  Go !  throw  them 
away,  and  your  meal,  and  your  blanket,  and  wash  you  in 
yon  stream.  Then  you  will  be  prepared  to  see  the  Mas- 
ter of  Life."  The  prophet  had  done  as  the  woman  had 
bidden  him.  And  he  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  moun- 
tain. There  a  beautiful  plain  was  spread  out  before  him, 


PONTIAC'S    SPEECH.  117 

and  the  wildest  animals  were  tame ;  and  the  fiercest,  gen- 
tle. And  he  saw  there  three  large  villages,  the  wigwams 
made  of  the  most  beautiful  timber,  far  superior  to  the  tim- 
ber used  by  the  Indians.  While  the  prophet  was  stand- 
ing, hesitating  to  enter,  a  man  had  come  forth,  dressed  in 
gorgeous  apparel,  and  had  taken  him  by  the  hand,  and 
bade  him  welcome.  Then  he  conducted  him  into  the 
presence  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  left  him  confronting  the 
dazzling  splendors.  And  the  Great  Spirit  said  to  him : 
"I  am  the  Maker  of  the  heaven  and  earth,  the  trees, 
lakes,  rivers,  and  all  things  else.  I  am  the  Maker  of 
mankind.  And  because  I  love  you,  you  must  do  as  I  bid 
you.  The  land  you  live  on,  I  have  made  it  for  you,  and 
not  for  others.  Why  do  you  suffer  the  white  men  to 
dwell  among  you  ?  My  children,  you  have  forgotten  the 
customs  and  traditions  of  your  forefathers.  Why  do  you 
not  clothe  yourselves  in  skins,  as  they  did,  and  use  the 
bows  and  arrows,  and  the  stone-pointed  lances,  which 
they  used  ?  You  have  bought  your  guns,  knives,  kettles, 
and  blankets  from  the  white  «ien,  until  you  can  no  longer 
do  without  them.  You  have  drank  their  fire-water,  which 
turns  you  to  fools.  Fling  away  all  these  things.  Live 
as  your  wise  forefathers  lived  before  you.  And  as  for 
those  English — those  dogs  dressed  in  red,  who  have  come 
to  rob  you  of  your  hunting-grounds,  and  scare  away  the 
game — you  must  lift  the  hatchet  against  them.  Go! 
wipe  them  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  Then  you  shall 
win  back  my  favor ;  and  I  will  make  you  prosperous 
and  happy  once  more."  Then  the  prophet  had  departed, 
and  had  reported  the  wonders  which  he  had  seen  and  heard. 
Such  is  the  meager  sketch  of  a  part  of  Pontiac's  speech, 
which  has  been  preserved  to  us  by  the  Canadian  French,  a 
few  of  whom  had  been  permitted  to  be  present,  and  had 
heard  him  that  day.  Coming  through  two  translations, 


118  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

and  reported  from  recollection,  it  must  fall  far  short  of 
displaying  the  eloquence  and  beauty  of  the  original.  It 
is  quite  probable  that  other  chiefs,  also,  may  have  spoken; 
but,  with  us,  the  interest  of  that  occasion  attaches  to 
Pontiac  alone.  The  encampment  was  broken  up  the  next 
morning,  so  early  that  when  the  sun  had  risen  and  lifted 
the  mists  from  the  river  the  meadow  was  bare. 

The  western  forts  were  situated  as  follows,  namely: 
Presque  Isle,  now  Erie;  Venango,  on  the  Alleghany 
River,  at  the  mouth  of  French  creek;  Fort  Pitt;  San- 
dusky,  on  Sandusky  Bay ;  Detroit ;  Miamis,  on  the  Mau- 
mee  River,  one  hundred  miles  above  its  mouth;  Michili- 
mackinac;  Green  Bay;  Ouatanon,  on  the  Upper  Wabash, 
one  hundred  miles  south  of  Lake  Michigan ;  and  St.  Jo- 
sephs, on  the  shore  of  that  lake.  Into  the  neighborhoods 
of  all  these  forts  the  Indians  were  seen  gathering  early 
in  the  month  of  May. 

Detroit  was  one  of  the  strongest  of  the  English  posts. 
Some  of  them  were  merely  block-houses.  At  the  close 
of  the  French  war,  Detroit  had  contained  twenty-five 
hundred  inhabitants.  On  the  western  bank  of  the  river, 
midway  the  settlement,  stood  the  fortified  town  or  fort, 
surrounded  by  a  palisade  twenty  feet  high,  inclosing 
about  one  hundred  houses,  thatched,  some  with  bark  and 
some  with  straw,  and  a  council-house,  and  a  little  church. 
The  village  straggled  along  the  river,  above  and  below. 
At  each  corner  of  the  fort  was  a  wooden  bastion,  which 
brought  the  sides  within  range  of  a  cross-fire.  The 
gateways  opened  beneath  block-houses.  The  fort  was 
nearly  square,  and  it  had  two  principal  entrances,  one 
from  the  river,  the  other  from  a  large  field,  that  had  been 
cleared  of  trees,  stumps,  hillocks  —  everything  that  could 
shelter  an  enemy.  Within,  the  streets  were  extremely 
narrow,  except  a  broad  passage,  running  entirely  around 


THE   CALUMET   DANCE.  119 

between  the  houses  and  the  palisade.  Two  small 
schooners,  armed,  the  Beaver  and  the  Gladwyn,  lay  at 
anchor  in  the  river.  And  several  light  pieces  of  artillery 
showed  their  black,  open  throats  over  the  bastions.  The 
garrison  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  soldiers, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Gladwyn,  and  about  forty 
fur  traders,  their  clerks  and  attendants.  Across  the 
river,  the  bank  was  lined  for  five  miles  with  French 
houses,  terminating  toward  Lake  St.  Glair  at  the  village 
of  the  Ottawas,  and  below  at  the  Wyandots,  opposite  the 
Pottawatamies.  The  Canadian  dwellings  had  each  its 
garden  and  orchard,  fenced  in  with  rounded  pickets,  and 
extending  back  in  narrow  lines  to  the  woods.  Detroit,  in 
1763,  was  a  lonely  place  to  Englishmen. 

The  nearest  English  settlements  lay  along  the  Mohawk 
River.  The  nearest  English  post  was  the  mere  block- 
house at  Sandusky.  In  the  woods  around  Detroit,  the 
Indians  had  been  slowly  gathering,  all  the  spring,  to  the 
number  of  about  two  thousand  warriors.  But  those  who 
had  appeared  in  the  village  and  at  the  fort  seemed  docile, 
submissive,  and  friendly.  Their  apparent  purpose  was 
to  trade,  and  have  a  good  time,  smoking  and  drinking, 
after  the  tedium  of  winter. 

On  the  first  day  of  May,  Pontiac  came  to  the  gateway, 
and  asked  permission  to  enter,  and  dance  the  calumet 
dance  before  the  officers  of  the  garrison.  He  had  brought 
with  him  forty  Ottawa  warriors.  Upon  being  admit- 
ted they  had  proceeded  to  the  corner  of  the  street  in 
front  of  the  house  of  the  commandant,  and  began  the 
dance,  in  the  presence  of  Major  Gladwyn  and  several  of 
his  subordinates.  The  Indians  first  spread  upon  the 
ground  a  large  mat,  made  from  rushes  of  divers  colors, 
and  placed  on  it  the  calumet,  and  their  bows,  quivers,  and 
tomahawks.  Then  they  began  a  monotonous  chant,  dur- 


120  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

ing  which,  each,  in  turn,  advanced  to  the  calumet,  taking 
a  whiff  and  puffing  out  the  smoke,  as  if  offering  incense. 
After  that,  they  repeated  their  advances,  tossing  the 
calumet  with  their  hands  in  time  with  the  song,  and  dis- 
playing it  to  the  spectators  from  side  to  side.  When 
that  had  been  gone  through  with,  the  dance  properly  be- 
gan. Each  singly,  as  before,  moved  over  the  mat  with  a 
shuffling  gait,  keeping  step  to  the  music,  pluming  the 
feathers  of  the  calumet,  and  waving  its  wings,  as  in  the 
act  of  flying  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Next  came  the 
mimic  combats  to  the  thumping  of  a  drum,  the  singing 
having  ceased.  Two  warriors  at  a  time  advanced  to- 
gether, one  with  the  calumet,  the  other  with  his  weapons ; 
and  they  went  through  a  mock  battle,  keeping  step  as 
before,  thrusting,  parrying,  flying,  pursuing  —  the  calumet 
always  being  victorious.  Then  the  victor  had  to  make  a 
speech,  bragging  of  what  he  had  done,  and  of  his  ances- 
tors, and  tribe,  and  the  Indians  generally.  All  of  them 
went  through  with  the  performance  with  spirit  and  effect ; 
and  before  it  had  been  concluded,  the  novel  spectacle  had 
attracted  to  the  spot  every  officer,  soldier,  trader,  and 
clerk,  not  on  duty.  The  doors  and  windows  around  had 
been  flung  open,  and  women  and  children  were  gazing. 
It  was  remembered  afterward  that  ten  of  the  Indians  had 
slipped  away  early  in  the  dance,  and  were  found  prying 
about  in  different  parts  of  the  fort;  but  nothing  had  been 
thought  of  it  at  the  time.  That  was  the  method  which 
Pontiac  had  resorted  to,  in  procuring  an  inspection  of  the 
condition  of  the  fortress. 

Modern  experiments  have  demonstrated  that  the  proper 
length  of  the  rifle-barrel  is  about  twenty-eight  inches; 
but  the  hunters  an  hundred  years  ago  prized  that  weapon 
for  the  length  of  its  barrel,  which  usually  was  from  three 
to  four  feet.  On  the  fifth  of  May,  Mrs.  St.  Aubin,  a 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   PLOT.  321 

Canadian  woman,  went  over  to  the  Ottawa  village  for  ma- 
ple-sugar and  venison,  and  she  there  saw  several  warriors 
filing  off  their  rifle-barrels  about  the  middle.  She  men- 
tioned this  fact  in  surprise  among  her  neighbors,  when 
the  village  blacksmith  remarked,  that  the  Indians  had 
been  coming  to  him  lately  to  borrow  files  and  saws,  and 
would  not  tell  him  what  they  wanted  them  for. 

The  next  clay  a  beautiful  Pottawatamie  girl,  who  had 
become  much  attached  to  one  of  the  officers,  revealed  to 
her  lover  the  grand  plot  for  the  destruction  of  the  fort 
and  garrison.  Her  affection  had  prevailed  over  her  duty 
to  her  tribe.  "  To-morrow,"  she  said,  "  Pontiac  will  come 
to  the  fort  with  sixty  chiefs,  each  armed  with  a  gun,  cut 
short,  and  hidden  under  his  blanket.  He  will  demand  a 
council;  and,  after  making  his  speech,  he  will  offer  a 
peace-belt  of  wampum,  holding  it  in  a  reversed  position. 
That  will  be  the  signal  of  attack." 

Major  Gladwyn  was  possessed  of  rare  courage  and  ad- 
dress. Calling  his  officers  together,  and  communicating 
the  plot  to  them,  he  set  about  the  defense.  Greatly  fear- 
ing that  the  Indians  might  precipitate  matters,  and 
attempt  carrying  the  fort  by  assault  before  morning,  he 
kept  half  the  garrison  under  arms ;  and,  with  his  officers, 
spent  the  night  watching.  Early  the  next  morning,  a 
fleet  of  canoes  was  seen  through  the  mists,  coming  over, 
with  two  or  three  Indians  in  each,  moving  slowly,  and 
deeply  laden.  It  turned  out  that  the  canoes  were  filled 
with  warriors,  lying  flat  on  their  faces,  to  escape  observa- 
tion. Soon,  the  field  behind  the  fort  became  thronged 
with  Indians,  seemingly  preparing  for  a  game  of  ball. 
Warriors,  wrapped  in  blankets,  dropped  in  among  them 
from  time  to  time.  Some  approached  the  gate.  Glad- 
wyn had  them  admitted;  determined  to  convince  them, 


122  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

that,  while  he  had  discovered  their  plot,  he  also  despised 
their  hostility. 

The  whole  garrison  was  under  arms.  The  English 
traders  had  closed  their  houses  and  armed  their  men. 
Meanwhile,  Pontiac  was  seen  coming  up  the  river  road, 
with  his  sixty  chiefs.  Beaufait,  a  Canadian,  says  that  he 
was  standing  on  the  bridge  over  Parent's  creek,  when 
they  filed  past  him ;  and  that  the  chief  in  the  rear  was  an 
old  friend,  who,  loosening  the  folds  of  his  blanket,  for  an 
instant,  displayed  his  shortened  gun,  with  a  significant 
gesture  toward  the  fort. 

At  ten  o'clock,  Pontiac  passed  into  the  inclosure  be- 
tween the  lines  of  soldiers;  and  though  he  must  have 
seen  that  his  plan  was  discovered,  he  did  not  alter  his 
bearing  in  the  least,  but  led  the  way  directly  across  to 
the  council-house.  The  officers  were  there  to  receive 
him,  fully  armed.  "  Why,"  asked  Pontiac,  "  do  I  see  so 
many  of  my  father's  young  men  standing  in  the  street 
with  their  guns  1 "  Gladwyn  replied,  that  they  had  been 
out  for  review.  The  chiefs  were  seated,  and,  after  the 
customary  pause,  Pontiac  rose  to  speak,  holding  in  his 
hand  a  wampum  belt.  The  officers  watched  him  closely. 
Once,  it  is  said,  he  was  about  to  make  the  signal ;  but,  at 
a  sign  from  Gladwyn,  the  drums  at  the  door  began  beating 
the  charge,  and  the  hurried  tramp  of  men  was  heard  in 
the  adjoining  passage.  The  officers  kept  their  seats. 
Gladwyn  wished  to  destroy  the  plot,  without  bringing  on 
an  open  rupture.  The  din  ceased,  and  Gladwyn  replied, 
that  the  Indians  should  have  his  friendship  as  long  as 
they  deserved  it;  but  that  he  would  punish  the  first  act 
of  aggression.  The  gates  were  again  flung  open,  and  the 
baffled  chiefs  departed.  The  plot  had  failed. 

The  Indians  began  falling  off,  and  in  a  little  while  the 
fort  was  clear.  In  their  view,  artifice  was  wisdom. 


DESTRUCTION   OF   THE   FORTS.  123 

With  them,  the  object  of  the  war  was  to  destroy  their 
enemies ;  and,  for  that  purpose,  all  means  seemed  alike 
honorable.  The  Indians  would  have  regarded  a  needless 
risk  as  a  great  folly.  Had  Pontiac  ordered  his  followers 
to  charge  upon  the  armed  garrison,  probably  not  one  of 
them  would  have  obeyed  him.  In  accordance  with  their 
strange  superstition,  they  might,  indeed,  have  reverenced 
him,  afterward,  as  a  madman ;  but  his  fame  among  them 
as  a  warrior,  would  have  been  lost  forever. 

Pontiac,  though  chagrined  at  the  failure  of  his  strata- 
gem, was  not  discouraged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  war. 
He  immediately  laid  siege  to  Detroit,  hemming  in  the 
garrison  withiu  the  fortress,  and  cutting  off  stragglers 
and  supplies.  For  many  weeks,  the  soldiers  were  con- 
stantly under  arms,  mostly  on  guard,  the  officers  sleeping 
only  in  their  clothes,  with  their  swords  beside  them.  At 
one  time,  a  large  detachment  coming  to  their  relief  was 
captured  on  the  river,  and  slaughtered.  A  schooner  as- 
cending from  Lake  Erie,  with  supplies  for  the  famishing 
garrison,  was  attacked  so  vigorously  that,  although  the 
desperate  crew  had  slain  three  times  their  own  number, 
the  savages  were  thronging  the  deck,  when  the  mate  sung 
out  below  to  fire  the  magazine.  Some  of  the  Indians 
understood  the  order.  Then  they  began  plunging  over- 
board on  all  sides,  bobbing,  and  ducking,  and  swimming 
for  the  shore,  yelling  with  affright.  Countermanding  the 
order,  the  schooner  was  brought  safely  to  the  wharf.  The 
Indians  continued  to  press  the  siege  of  Detroit,  with 
unexampled  perseverance,  for  more  than  five  months. 

In  the  meanwhile,  Sandusky,  and  St.  Josephs,  and 
Ouatanon,  and  Miamis,  and  Venango,  and  Presque  Isle, 
had  all  fallen  to  the  Indians,  and  the  defenders  had  been 
butchered.  Fort  Pitt,  which  had  been  strongly  fortified 
on  the  ruins  of  Fort  Du  Quesne,  was  also  in  a  state  of 


124  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

siege.  The  storm  of  war  was  sweeping  along  the  whole 
border.  The  settlements  had  been  attacked  with  frigh^- 
ful  fury,  the  inhabitants  murdered  at  their  firesides,  or 
shot  down  in  the  fields.  Congregations  had  been  surprised 
and  slain  in  the  act  of  public  worship.  School-houses 
had  been  captured,  and  teachers  and  children  left  in 
slaughtered  heaps.  Scores  of  captives  had  been  burned 
alive  at  the  stake.  Hundreds  more  had  been  adopted  into 
savage  families,  to  fill  the  places  of  the  Indians  that  had 
fallen.  Terror  reigned  everywhere.  Each  neighborhood 
was  occupied  in  providing  for  its  own  defense,  so  that 
none  could  lend  assistance  to  the  pthers.  The  settle- 
ments were  being  swept  away  in  detail. 

Michilimackinac  had  fallen  at  a  single  blow.  That 
fortress,  in  1763,  consisted  of  a  large  area,  inclosed  by 
a  high  palisade,  in  the  form  of  a  square.  It  stood  on  the 
southern  shore,  close  upon  the  margin  of  the  lake.  The 
houses,  barracks,  and  other  buildin'gs,  within  it,  had  been 
built  around  a  smaller  square,  in  the  center  of  the  fort. 
These  erections  were  of  a  single  story,  with  bark  roofs, 
and  projections  for  stoops,  opening  toward  the  palisade. 
The  settlement  at  Michilimackinac  was  composed  of  sixty 
families,  half  residing  within,  and  half  without  the  for- 
tress. The  garrison  consisted  of  thirty-five  men,  with 
their  officers,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Etherington. 
Two  tribes  of  Indians  were  in  that  vicinity,  in  consider- 
able force.  The  Ojibway  village,  which  stood  on  the 
island  of  Mackinaw,  contained  more  than  two  hundred 
warriors.  They  had  another  village,  also,  at  the  head  of 
Thunder  Bay.  The  Ottawas,  to  the  number  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  warriors,  were  located  on  an  arm  of  Lake 
Michigan,  about  twenty  miles  to  the  south-west.  The 
Ottawas  had  become  partially  Christianized,  and  had 
made  some  progress  toward  civilization.  Many  among 


THE    GAME   OF   BALL.  125 

them  were  living  in  log  houses,  cultivating  corn  and 
vegetables  beyond  their  own  wants,  and  supplying  the 
fort.  But  the  Ojibways,  in  every  respect,  were  thorough 
savages. 

Toward  the  close  of  May,  a  runner  had  reached  the 
Ojibway  village  from  Detroit.  "Pontiac,"  he  said,  "had 
already  struck  the  English."  The  news  created  great 
excitement  on  the  island ;  and  the  Indians  there  determined 
to  attack  the  fort  without  delaying  for  reinforcements. 
Alexander  Henry,  who  had  resided  at  Michilimackinac, 
as  a  trader,  since  the  fall  of  1761,  and  who  was  one  of 
the  few  that  escaped  the  massacre,  remembers  to  have 
seen  the  fort  filled  with  Indians,  on  the  third  day  of  June, 
roving  about  among  the  soldiers  with  every  appearance 
of  friendship.  His  own  house,  too,  had  been  thronged 
with  them,  coming  there  to  buy  knives  and  hatchets,  often 
asking  to  look  at  his  silver  bracelets  and  other  ornaments, 
with  the  intention,  as  would  appear  from  their  conduct 
afterward,  of  ascertaining  where  he  kept  them,  that  they 
might  pillage  him  the  more  readily. 

The  fourth  of  June,  1763,  was  a  warm  and  sultry  day. 
It  was  the  birthday  of  King  George.  And  on  that 
account  the  discipline  of  the  garrison  had  been  relaxed, 
and  considerable  license  was  allowed  to  the  soldiers.  A 
large  party  of  Ojibways  had  crossed  over,  and  encamped 
in  the  woods  near  by,  together  with  several  bands" of  Sac 
Indians,  from  the  Wisconsin  River.  In  the  forenoon, 
some  of  the  Ojibways  invited  the  officers  to  come  out  and 
see  a  grand  game  of  ball  played  by  their  nation  against 
the  Sacs.  In  a  little  while  the  fortress  was  half  deserted. 
A  few  soldiers,  indeed,  lounged  in  the  doorways  and  win- 
dows of  the  barracks ;  but  most  of  them  were  outside  the 
fort,  scattered  along  in  the  shadow  of  the  palisade, 
watching  the  game.  Scarcely  one  of  them  had  his  arms. 


126  THE   GEE  AT   WEST. 

The  Canadians  were  squatted  in  groups  on  the  grass, 
smoking;  and  a  great  many  squaws  were  hovering 
around,  wrapped  in  their  blankets.  Captain  Etherington 
and  Lieutenant  Leslie  were  standing  near  the  open  gate- 
way,—  the  former,  a  thorough  Englishman,  offering  to  bet 
on  the  Ojibways,  that  they  would  win. 

The  plain  before  them  was  swarming  with  the  players. 
The  game  was  a  great  favorite  with  all  the  Indian  tribes. 
Two  tall  posts  had  been  erected  wide  apart,  to  mark  the 
stations  of  the  rival  parties,  and  each  was  striving  to 
drive  the  ball  beyond  its  adversary.  Hundreds  of  lithe, 
dark  forms,  half  naked,  their  hair  streaming  out  as  they 
ran,  were  racing  and  bounding  hither  and  thither,  to  smite 
the  ball  with  their  long  bats.  In  fact,  the  ball  was  scarcely 
permitted  to  reach  the  ground  at  all.  Whenever  it  flew, 
the  yelling  and  screeching  crowd  followed  at  the  top  of 
their  speed,  and  drove  it  again  into  the  air.  Suddenly, 
the  ball  was  sent  spinning  up  to  a  great,  hight,  and  it 
descended  swiftly  to  the  foot  of  the  palisade,  while  the 
tumultuous  throng  came  rushing  on,  as  if  in  pursuit,  to  the 
very  gateway.  In  they  swept,  jostling  the  officers  aside, 
crowding  upon  one  another,  choking  the  passage,  till  the 
fort  was  alive  with  Indians.  It  was  the  work  of  an 
instant.  Before  the  English  could  recover  their  compos- 
ure, the  startling  warwhoop  was  raised  within  the  for- 
tress, and  responded  to  from  the  plain  and  from  the  woods. 
The  squaws  threw  open  their  blankets,  and  furnished  the 
warriors  with  knives  and  tomahawks.  Then  ensued  a 
terrible  scene  of  blood.  The  unguarded  English  were 
slaughtered  without  resistance.  Mr.  Henry  says  that  he 
saw  several  of  his  companions  scalped  while  yet  alive 
and  struggling  between  the  knees  of  their  savage  butchers. 
Shrieks,  groans,  and  yells,  filled  the  air.  Then  for  a  few 
moments  nothing  would  be  heard  but  the  trampling  of 


DESTRUCTION    OF   FORT   MICHILIMACKINAC.     127 

moccasined  feet,  till  some  new  victim  had  been  dragged 
from  his  concealment. 

Captain  Etherington  and  Lieutenant  Leslie  had  been 
seized  at  the  outset,  and  hurried  off  to  the  woods.  Mr. 
Henry  clambered  over  a  fence,  and  hid  away  in  a  Cana- 
dian garret.  From  thence  he  beheld  the  closing  scenes 
of  the  tragedy.  "Through  an  aperture  which  afforded 
me  a  view  of  the  arena  of  the  fort,  I  beheld,  in  shapes 
the  foulest  and  most  terrible,  the  ferocious  triumphs  of 
the  barbarian  conquerors.  The  dead  were  scalped  and 
mangled;  the  dying  were  writhing  and  shrieking  under 
the  unsatiated  knife  and  tomahawk ;  and  from  the  bodies 
of  some,  ripped  open,  their  butchers  were  drinking  the 
blood,  scooped  up  in  the  hollow  of  joined  hands,  and 
quaffed  amid  shouts  of  rage  and  victory." 

The  posts  at  St.  Mary's  and  Green  Bay  did  not  share 
the  fate  of  Michilimackinac.  St.  Mary's  had  been  par- 
tially destroyed  by  fire  the  previous  winter,  and  had  been 
abandoned.  At  Green  Bay,  Lieutenant  Gorrell  had  con- 
ducted his  command  with  great  prudence.  Having  with 
him  only  seventeen  men,  he  had  enlisted  the  Dacotahs, 
from  beyond  the  Mississippi,  to  overawe  the  Menominees 
and  Winnebagoes.  But  it  was  deemed  not  advisable  to 
maintain  so  feeble  a  post.  With  a  large  party  of  warriors, 
he  crossed  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Ottawa  village,  where 
Etherington  and  Leslie  were  held  as  prisoners.  A  coun- 
cil was  called,  and  those  gentlemen  set  at  liberty.  The 
Ojibways  had  been  seized  with  a  sudden  panic  after  the 
taking  of  Michilimackinac,  and  consented  that  the  Eng- 
lish might  return  to  Montreal,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
thirteenth  day  of  August. 

The  fate  of  Venango,  on  the  southern  border  of  the 
wilderness,  was  for  a  long  time  shrouded  in  mystery.  It 
had  been  destroyed,  with  its  garrison,  and  by  fire;  but 


128  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

under  what  circumstances  was  wholly  unknown.  The 
charred  and  blackened  ruins  alone  remained,  with  the 
fragments  of  bursted  stones,  pieces  of  melted  glass  and 
iron,  fire-eaten  knives  and  gun-barrels,  and  calcined  bones  — 
to  tell  their  dreadful  story.  The  friends  and  relatives 
of  the  garrison  kept  hoping  that  some  of  them  might 
have  escaped  through  the  wilderness,  or  that  they  would 
be  restored  from  captivity.  But  they  had  been  smitten, 
every  one,  and  had  fallen  the  victims  of  treachery.  After 
the  war  was  over,  a  Seneca  Indian  related  to  Sir  William 
Johnson  the  fall  of  Venango.  He  said  that,  long  before 
a  breath  of  suspicion  had  been  whispered  along  the  bor- 
der, a  band  of  Senecas,  far  outnumbering  the  garrison, 
had  presented  themselves  at  the  fort  with  many  expres- 
sions of  friendship,  and  had  been  hospitably  received  and 
entertained.  While  they  were  being  feasted,  a  few  of 
them  had  withdrawn,  and  surprised  the  sentinels,  and 
closed  the  gates.  Then,  turning  upon  their  unsuspecting 
hosts,  they  had  put  them  to  death  with  the  knife  and  the 
tomahawk.  The  fortress  was  burned  over  the  scalped 
and  mutilated  slain.  Lieutenant  Gordon,  the  command- 
ant, had  alone  been  reserved  for  a  most  awful  fate.  Tied 
hand  and  foot,  strung  up  on  a  bent  sapling,  over  a  slow 
fire,  he  had  been  roasted  alive  for  several  successive 
nights,  his  flesh  burned  with  blazing  brands,  and  tortured 
with  whips,  till  exhausted  nature  could  endure  no  longer, 
and  he  had  expired. 

Ensign  Price,  with  a  small  detachment,  had  been  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  Le  Boeuf.  They  had  a  narrow  escape. 
The  fortress  was  set  on  fire  at  midnight.  It  was  a  mere 
block- house,  built  of  logs,  the  upper  story  projecting  far 
over  the  lower  one.  While  the  whole  structure  above 
was  in  flames,  and  the  Indians  gathered  in  a  half-circle 
before  the  entrance,  yelling  and  screeching  in  savage  glee, 


DESTRUCTION   OF  FORT   LE   BCEUF.  129 

expecting  the  stifled  inmates  would  soon  rush  forth  to 
certain  death,  the  brave  men  within  took  advantage  of 
the  uproar,  cut  a  passage  between  the  logs  in  the  rear, 
and  crawled  out  into  the1  woods.  They  found  shelter  at 
Fort  Pitt.  In  the  morning,  the  Indians,  poking  up  the 
ashes  an,d  embers,  wondered  what  had  become  of  the 
white  men's  bones. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,  bearing  date  June 
30th,  1763,  will  serve  to  show  the  terrible  condition  of 
the  frontier  settlements  :  "  This  morning  a  party  of  the 
enemy  attacked  fifteen  persons,  who  were  mowing  in  Mr. 
Croghan's  field,  within  a  mile  of  the  garrison,  (Fort 
Bedford,)  and  news  is  brought  in  of  two  men  being  killed. 
Eight  o'clock.  Two  men  are  brought  in,  alive,  toma- 
hawked, and  scalped  more  than  half  the  head  over.  Our 
parade-ground,  just  now,  presents  a  scene  of  bloody  and 
savage  cruelty ;  three  men,  two  of  which  are  in  the  bloom 
of  life,  the  other  an  old  man,  lying  scalped  (two  of  them 
still  alive)  thereon.  The  gashes  the  poor  people  bear  are 
most  terrifying.  Ten  o'clock.  They  have  just  expired. 
One  of  them,  after  being  tomahawked  and  scalped,  ran  a 
little  way,  and  got  on  a  loft  in  Mr.  Croghan's  house, 
where  he  lay  till  found  by  a  party  of  the  garrison." 

A  strong  detachment  was  sent  out  through  borders  to 
reconnoiter,  and  they  found  every  habitation  in  ashes, 
and, in  many  instances,  the  singed  bodies  of  the  inmates 
lying  around.  In  addition  to  the  slain,  the  inhabitants 
were  flying  for  their  lives.  A  person  from  the  midst  of 
those  scenes  wrote  that  a  thousand  families  had  been 
driven  from  their  homes;  that  the  woods  were  filled  with 
fugitives,  without  shelter  and  without  food.  As  the  party 
advanced  further,  pausing  at  each  smouldering  ruin  to  bury 
the  poor  victims  of  savage  fury,  and  hastening  the  flight 
of  the  living,  they  came  into  the  region  where  the  general 
6*  I 


130  THE   GEEAT  WEST. 

massacre  was  yet  going  on.  From  every  hill-top  they 
beheld  columns  of  smoke  rising  above  the  woods,  each 
way,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  Often  they  had  to 
drive  away  the  hogs  from  tearing  and  devouring  the  dead. 
Frequently  they  found  the  corpses  of  men  and  women 
still  tied  to  the  trees,  where  they  had  been  tortured  to 
death  by  fire. 

The  multitude  of  the  fugitives  was  so  great  that  the 
villages  could  not  accommodate  them.  They  had  to 
encamp  in  the  fields,  in  huts  made  of  boughs  and  bark, 
living  on  charity.  At  one  place,  there  were  gathered 
three  hundred  men,  and  as  many  women,  and  seven  hun- 
dred children.  They  were  the  remnants,  in  part,  of  mur- 
dered families.  Many  of  them  were  utterly  incapable  of 
helping  themselves,  crazed  with  terror.  Children  cried 
and  sobbed,  fatherless  and  motherless,  and  sank  to  sleep 
among  the  leaves.  Some  of  the  grown  people  stood 
aghast  and  bewildered  with  griefs  that  were  too  deep  for 
tears.  Others  settled  down  in  the  apathy  of  despair. 
Others  kept  weeping  and  moaning  with  irrepressible 
anguish.  With  not  a  few,  every  faculty  had  become 
absorbed  in  a  burning  thirst  for  vengeance.  A  dying  boy, 
just  expiring  from  his  wounds,  hoarsely  whispered,  "  Here, 
take  my  gun,  and  kill  the  first  Indian  you  see,  and  all 
shall  be  well." 

In  1763,  the  transmission  of  intelligence  through  the 
West  was  made  by  the  means  of  messengers,  traversing 
the  wilderness.  These,  the  Indians  waylaid  and  killed. 
A  few  reached  their  destination.  Tidings  of  disaster 
on  disaster  kept  coming  in.  It  had  become  known  that 
nine  forts  had  been  captured  in  quick  succession.  Detroit 
and  Fort  Pitt,  each  beleaguered  with  savages,  alone  held 
out.  The  vast  territory,  so  lately  won  from  the  French, 
had  been  suddenly  snatched  from  the  conquerors.  Sir 


COLONEL   HEXEY   BOUQUET.  131 

Jeffrey  Amherst,  the  commander-in-chief,  was  forced  to 
the  conviction  that  the  Indian  tribes  had  risen  in  a  gen- 
eral insurrection.  He  began  immediately  his  preparations 
to  put  them  down.  It  was,  indeed,  time  for  action.  The 
western  settlements,  extending  from  north  to  south  more 
than  six  hundred  miles,  were  being  wasted  with  fire 
and  steel. 

Colonel  Henry  Bouquet,  with  five  hundred  Highlanders, 
chiefly  of  the  forty-second  regiment,  hastened  from  Phila- 
delphia across  the  Alleghanies.  By  birth,  a  Swiss  of  the 
canton  of  Berne,  Bouquet  had  been  in  the  military  from 
his  boyhood.  He  was  possessed  of  a  fine  person,  and  his 
bearing  was  composed  and  dignified.  Distinguished  b)' 
great  activity,  courage,  and  fertility  of  resource,  he  added 
to  these  qualities  a  .power  of  adapting  himself  to  the 
warfare  of  the  woods.  He  was  a  thorough  partisan  sol- 
dier. He  possessed  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  duties 
of  his  officers  and  men,  for  he  would  sometimes  perform 
those  duties  himself.  And  at  times,  when  it  had  become 
necessary  to  penetrate  dark  defiles,  he  was  known  to  have 
taken  the  rifle,  and  to  have  gone  out  with  his  scouting 
parties,  preferring  his  own  eyes  to  the  reports  of  others. 
In  such  a  leader,  the  bold  and  hardy  hunters  could  repose 
entire  confidence ;  and  they  flocked  to  his  banner  as  the 
little  army  was  bearing  it  westward. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  of  August,  the  troops 
met  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Pitt.  The  battle 
raged  all  that  day  with  doubtful  success.  Bouquet  kept 
his  camp  in  utter  darkness  during  the  following  night. 
Not  the  slightest  glimmer  of  a  lamp  should  light  the  sav- 
age rifleman  to  his  aim.  The  Indians  whooped,  yelled, 
and  fired  for  a  while  at  random ;  but  they  soon  gave  it  up 
till  morning.  With  the  earliest  dawn  the  battle  was  re- 
newed. The  rapid  firing  of  the  troops  was  followed  by 


132  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

instantaneous  charges  into  the  cover,  driving  savages  out 
of  their  hiding-places  like  startled  wolves.  The  Indians 
were  tasting  for  the  first  time  the  terrors  of  the  English 
bayonet.  Soon  the  approach  of  the  bristling  steel  would 
send  them  flying  in  every  direction.  But  they  would 
come  back  again.  In  this  way  the  fight  had  continued  till 
nigh  noon  of  the  second  day.  In  the  meantime  the 
condition  of  the  army  was  becoming  frightful.  The 
wounded  were  dying  of  thirst.  No  water  could  be  had. 
The  suffering  of  the  soldiers  was  intolerable.  Then  Bou- 
quet's genius  displayed  itself.  He  had  observed  that  the 
enemy  would  fire,  and  immediately  run  to  escape  the  bay- 
onet. How  should  he  bring  them  into  a  body,  so  that  a 
charge  could  be  made  effectual?  Making  his  arrange- 
ments with  great  rapidity,  the  rear  was  strengthened,  and 
the  weakened  front  soon  began  to  fall  back,  as  if  over- 
powered and  about  to  retreat.  To  the  Indians  the  battle 
seemed  to  be  won.  Leaping  in  fury  forward,  they  became 
compacted  together,  completely  exposed,  and  ardent  in 
the  pursuit.  Suddenly  they  received  a  heavy  flank  fire, 
and  through  the  smoke,  at  full  run,  came  the  dreaded 
bayonets.  There  was  no  place  of  concealment.  There 
was  no  quarter  shown.  The  savages  crowded  upon 
each  other,  writhed,  dodged,  and  snatched  at  the  gun- 
barrels,  and  threw  themselves  on  the  ground,  thinking  to 
crawl  under  the  line  of  steel,  to  get  at  the  advancing 
troops.  It  was  all  in  vain.  The  incessant  thug,  thug,  thug 
of  the  merciless  weapon  as  it  drove  through  their  naked 
forms,  was  dropping  them  thickly  over  the  ground.  At 
last,  with  yells  of  terror,  they  broke  and  fled.  But  one  pris- 
oner had  been  taken ;  and  him  the  exasperated  borderers, 
in  spite  of  remonstrance  and  of  authority,  shot  to  death 
like  a  captured  wolf.  The  little  army  had  lost  eight  offi- 
cers and  one  hundred  and  fifteen  men  slain.  During  the 


COUNCIL   WITH   THE   INDIANS.  133 

battle  the  pack-horses,  frightened  by  the  uproar,  had  made 
a  general  stampede.  Bouquet,  therefore,  had  to  destroy 
all  the  surplus  baggage.  Bearing  the  wounded  along  on 
litters,  the  troops  reached  Fort  Pitt  on  the  tenth. 

The  moral  effect  of  the  victory  was  very  great.  The 
despairing  colonists  were  aroused  to  action.  In  western 
Pennsylvania,  a  body  of  riflemen  was  organized  under  the 
command  of  James  Smith,  who  had  been  several  years  a 
prisoner  among  the  Indians.  He  understood  the  Indian 
mode  of  fighting  to  perfection.  He  had  his  men  dressed 
like  warriors,  and  their  faces  painted,  and  he  trained  them 
in  the  Indian  discipline.  From  Western  Virginia  a  thou- 
sand riflemen  had  taken  the  field.  The  tide  of  war  soon 
flowed  back  into  the  wilderness,  and  the  Indian  villages 
began  to  be  smitten  in  their  turn.  Late  in  the  fall,  a  large 
detachment  had  ascended  Lake  Erie,  and  raised  the  siege 
of  Detroit.  Pontiac  retired  into  the  country  upon  the 
head-waters  of  the  Maumee.  In  the  spring,  a  large  body 
of  English  troops  was  gathered  at  Sandusky ;  and  Bou- 
quet, having  been  reinforced  at  Fort  Pitt,  took  up  his  line 
of  march  through  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country.  The 
savages  abandoned  their  villages,  and  fled  at  the  approach 
of  so  large  an  army. 

The  order  of  the  march  was  such  as  to  make  an  am- 
bush, or  a  surprise,  impossible.  Far  in  advance,  a  body 
of  scouts  was  exploring  every  hill,  valley,  thicket,  and 
ravine.  On  either  flank,  the  woods  were  scoured  for 
miles  by  skillful  hunters.  At  night,  the  great  body  of  the 
troops  slept  outside  of  the  camp-fires,  among  the  trees. 
While  advancing,  in  this  guarded  manner,  upon  the  In- 
dian villages  within  the  recesses  of  the  forest,  a  deputa- 
tion of  warriors  was  received,  and  they  requested  a 
council,  and  offered  the  submission  of  their  tribes.  But 
Bouquet,  fearing  treachery,  while  consenting  to  the  coun- 


134  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

oil,  determined  that  the  negotiations  should  be  conducted 
under  the  muzzles  of  his  guns.  He  ordered  that  the 
chiefs  should  meet  him  the  next  day  at  a  point  on  the 
Muskingum  River,  a  little  below  his  camp.  Booths  were 
erected  for  the  officers  and  chiefs.  In  the  morning,  the 
army  moved  in  order  of  battle  to  the  place  of  council, 
and  took  up  its  position  in  a  natural  meadow  in  front  of 
the  booths.  The  spectacle  of  fifteen  hundred  English- 
men in  arms  was  to  the  Indians  new  and  astounding. 

The  silence  that  reigned  along  the  lengthened  lines,  the 
barrels  and  bayonets  flashing  in  the  sun,  the  tartans  of  the 
Highlanders,  the  bright  red  of  the  Royal  Americans,  the 
dark  uniforms  and  trappings  of  the  colonial  militia,  the 
hunting  frocks  of  the  backwoodsmen,  with  their  long 
rifles — all  combined,  formed  an  imposing  display  of  mil- 
itary power  that  created  a  deep  impression  on  the  savage 
warriors,  and  made  the  chiefs  quite  sincere  in  their 
desires  for  peace. 

The  effect  of  the  presence  of  a  powerful  army  was  im- 
mediately apparent.  The  chiefs  endeavored  to  excuse 
the  war,  saying,  that  they  had  been  driven  into  it  by  the 
western  Indians,  and  by  their  own  hot-headed  young 
men ;  that  they  were  now  anxious  to  be  at  peace  with  the 
English,  and  to  have  protection  against  the  tribes  beyond 
them  to  the  westward.  Bouquet's  reply  is  a  masterpiece 
of  diplomatic  skill  in  dealing  with  Indians.  Assuming 
great  sternness,  he  said:  "Your  excuses  are  frivolous  and 
unavailing.  Your  conduct  is  without  apology.  You 
could  not  have  acted  through  fear  of  the  western  Indians, 
for  you  know,  that,  had  you  been  faithful  to  us,  we  would 
have  protected  you  against  them.  As  for  your  young 
men,  you  should  have  punished  them,  if  they  did  wrong. 
You  have  been  violent  and  perfidious.  You  robbed  and 
murdered  in  cold  blood  the  traders  among  you.  With 


SURRENDER   OF   THE   PRISONERS.  135 

base  treachery  you  took  our  out-posts  and  garrisons,  and 
assailed  our  troops— the  same  that  now  stand  before 
you.  Not  content  with  that,  you  burned  our  houses,  and 
killed  our  women  and  children,  and  have  got  many  cap- 
tives hidden  away  in  the  woods.  You  have  been  prowl- 
ing around  this  army  during  its  march,  and  would  have 
attacked  it,  had  you  dared.  The  other  Indians  have 
made  peace  with  us.  You  are  now  in  our  power.  We 
can  cut  you  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  But  the  English 
are  great  and  powerful,  and  will  let  you  live,  if  you  will 
do  as  I  bid  you.  I  give  you  twelve  days  to  bring  to  me 
all  your  prisoners :  Englishmen,  Frenchmen,  women,  and 
children:  whether  adopted  into  your  tribes,  married,  or 
living  among  you  on  any  pretense  whatsoever.  You  shall 
furnish  them  with  food,  clothing,  and  horses,  to  carry 
them  back  to  their  homes  again.  Comply  with  these 
conditions,  and  then  I  will  tell  you  on  what  terms  I  will 
let  you  live." 

Bouquet  required  the  chiefs  to  remain  in  his  camp,  as 
hostages,  till  the  prisoners  should  all  be  brought  in ;  and, 
in  the  meantime  marched  into  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  Indian  towns,  and  fortified  his  camp,  dispatching 
bodies  of  troops  to  hasten  the  compliance  with  his  terms. 
Band  after  band  of  captives  were  brought  in  daily,  until 
more  than  two  hundred  had  been  collected,  which  was  all 
that  could  be  ascertained  to  be  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try. Until  then,  Bouquet  had  refused  all  friendly  inter- 
course witk  the  Indians.  And  they,  judging  him  by  their 
own  ferocity,  were  constantly  in  terror  lest  he  should 
put  them  all  to  the  sword.  At  last,  he  gave  them  the 
hand  of  friendship.  A  Delaware  chief  had  refused  to 
come  in.  Bouquet  ordered  the  tribe  to  depose  the  refrac- 
tory chief,  and  appoint  another  in  his  stead.  The  Indians 
were  completely  cowed.  Upon  his  return,  Bouquet  car- 


136  THE   GEEAT   WEST. 

ried  with  him  the  captives,  and  also  a  large  number  of 
chiefs,  as  hostages  for  the  continuance  of  the  peace. 

When  the  army  had  drawn  near  to  the  frontier,  it  was 
met  by  a  great  company  in  search  of  lost  relatives  and 
friends.  Husbands  found  their  wives,  and  parents  their 
children,  from  whom  they  had  been  separated  for  years. 
Women,  frantic  between  hope  and  fear,  were  running 
hither  and  thither,  looking  piercingly  into  the  face  of 
every  child,  to  find  their  own,  which,  perhaps,  had  died — 
and  then  such  shrieks  of  agony !  Some  of  the  little  cap- 
tives shrank  from  their  own  forgotten  mothers,  and  hid  in 
terror  in  the  blankets  of  the  squaws  that  had  adopted 
them.  Some  that  had  been  taken  away  young,  had  grown 
up  and  married  Indian  husbands  or  Indian  wives,  and 
now  stood  utterly  bewildered  with  conflicting  emotions. 
A  young  Virginian  had  found  his  wife ;  but  his  little  boy, 
not  two  years  old  when  captured,  had  been  torn  from  her, 
and  had  been  carried  off  no  one  knew  whither.  One 
day,  a  warrior  came  in,  leading  a  child.  No  one  seemed 
to  own  it.  But  soon  the  mother  knew  her  offspring,  and 
screaming  with  joy,  folded  her  son  to  her  bosom.  An  old 
woman  had  lost  her  granddaughter  in  the  French  war, 
nine  years  before.  All  her  other  relatives  had  died  under 
the  knife.  Searching,  with  trembling  eagerness,  in  each 
face,  she  at  last  recognized  the  altered  features  of  her 
child.  But  the  girl  had  forgotten  her  native  tongue,  and 
returned  no  answer,  and  made  no  sign.  The  old  woman 
groaned,  and  cried,  and  complained  bitterly,  that  the 
daughter  she  had  so  often  sung  to  sleep  on  her  knees,  had 
forgotten  her  in  her  old  age.  Soldiers  and  officers  were 
alike  overcome.  "  Sing,"  whispered  Bouquet,  "  sing  the 
song  you  used  to  sing."  As  the  low,  trembling  tones 
began  to  ascend,  the  wild  girl  gave  one  sudden  start,  then 
listening  for  a  moment  longer,  her  frame  shaking  like  an 


TERMINATION   OF   THE   WAR.  137 

ague,  she  burst  into  a  passionate  flood  of  tears.  That 
was  sufficient.  She  was  the  lost  child.  All  else  had  been 
effaced  from  her  memory  but  the  music  of  the  nursery- 
song.  During  her  captivity  she  had  heard  it  in  her  dreams- 

The  war  was  over.  The  English  provinces,  relieved 
from  their  great  burdens,  soon  began  to  grow  rapidly. 
The  time  was  nearly  come  for  a  civilized  people  to  extend 
themselves  over  the  uplands  and  prairies,  and  along  the 
lakes  and  rivers,  and  occupy  permanently  the  West.  In 
the  meantime,  France,  by  the  treaty  of  1763,  had  ceded 
to  England  all  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
The  French  inhabitants  of  the  Illinois  country  received 
the  news  of  their  transfer  with  sorrow  and  anger.  Many 
of  them,  unwilling  to  live  under  the  shadow  of  the  British 
flag,  fled  to  New  Orleans.  Others  removed  to  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river  at  St.  GenevieVe.  But  a  far  greater 
number  took  the  route  by  the  way  of  Cahokia,  and  joined 
the  new  settlement  on  the  western  bank,  that  had  been 
established  by  Pierre  Laclede.  That  adventurer,  in  Au- 
gust, 1763,  had  set  out  with  a  large  party  of  traders  and 
hunters  from  New  Orleans,  and  had  ascended  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  River.  The  journey  had  been  made  in 
boats,  and  had  occupied  three  months.  Selecting  a  spot 
on  the  Mississippi,  where  a  line  of  bluffs,  beautifully 
wooded,  rose  with  an  easy  ascent  from  the  water,  to  a 
high,  rolling  prairie,  Laclede  had  erected  a  storehouse,  a 
few  cabins,  and  a  slight  palisade.  This  was  at  the  close 
of  November.  Those  erections  constituted  the  first 
foundations  of  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

But  the  French  flag  was  still  flying  at  Fort  Chartres, 
and  the  smaller  posts  in  that  vicinity.  Major  Loftus, 
with  four  hundred  regulars,  had  attempted  to  ascend  the 
Mississippi,  and  take  possession  of  the  Illinois  country. 
He  had  embarked  at  New  Orleans  in  March,  1764,  when 


138  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

the  river  was  at  its  flood;  but  the  repeated  attacks  of  the 
Indians,  together  with  the  swiftness  of  the  current,  had 
compelled  him  to  return.  Captain  Sterling,  however,  had 
better  success  in  reaching  those  distant  fortresses.  Set- 
ting out  from  Fort  Pitt,  toward  the  close  of  the  winter 
following,  with  one  hundred  Highlanders,  he  had  floated 
down  the  Ohio  with  the  drifting  ice.  To  him  the  French 
flag  descended  from  the  ramparts  of  Fort  Chartres,  and 
the  neighboring  posts,  and  the  English  were  completely 
in  possession  of  the  western  country,  after  having  endured 
the  horrors  of  two  sanguinary  wars.  Four  years  later, 
Pontiac  was  assassinated  at  Cahokia.  The  remains  of 
the  great  chief  were  buried  at  St.  Louis,  where  the  race 
he  so  much  hated  are  trampling  with  unceasing  footsteps 
over  his  forgotten  grave. 


WANT   OF   ELBOW-ROOM.  139 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CONQUEST  OF  THE  WEST  BY  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

English  and  French  settlements  contrasted  —  Want  of  elbow-room  — 
The  Yankee  pioneers  —  Their  character  —  Recklessness  —  Pecu- 
liar dress — Their  Houses,  etc.  —  "Hog  and  hominy" — "Old 
Ned  "  — :  Tomahawk  rights —  Col.  Clark  at  the  West  —  His  charac- 
ter—  Descends  the  Ohio — Sinks  his  boats  —  Surprises  Kaskas- 
kia  —  Inhabitants  declare  for  the  United  States  —  British  Lieuten- 
ant-governor, Rocheblane,  captured  —  Vincennes  taken  —  Militia 
organized  —  Clark  among  the  Indians — "Courts  of  Illinois"  — 
British  governor,  Hamilton,  descends  the  Wabash  with  one  thou- 
sand men  —  Ruse  of  Capt.  Helm  —  Clark's  winter  march  —  Hamil- 
ton surrenders  —  Territory  held  by  Col.  Clark  until  the  close  of 
the  war. 

AFTER  the  general  peace  with  the  Indians,  it  was 
to  have  been  expected  that  settlements  might  be  made 
at  the  West  with  safety.  The  late  military  achieve- 
ments in  the  vicinity  of  the  lakes  and  in  the  valley  of  the 
Ohio  had  established  the  supremacy  of  the  English.  The 
British  flag  was  waving  over  the  wilderness,  from  Niagara 
to  the  Mississippi.  Nothing  seems  then  to  have  been  stand- 
ing in  the  way  of  the  speedy  colonization  of  the  country. 
Bold,  adventurous  men  were  pining  for  the  larger  liberty 
of  the  woods.  Moreover,  the  fearful  struggle  through 
which  the  colonists  had  just  been  passing  had  called  into 
existence  a  restless  courage,  that  could  not  remain  satis- 
fied with  the  repose  of  a  quiet  time.  A  new  want,  also, 
strangely  inconsistent  with  a  sparse  and  scattered  popu- 
lation, began  to  be  felt;  and  it  soon  drove  hundreds  of 
men  off  in  a  westerly  direction.  It  was  the  want  of 
"  elbow-room."  The  spirit  of  the  borderers  was  impelling 


140  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

them  to  seek  in  the  excitements  of  the  forest  a  substitute 
for  the  excitements  of  war.  A  peaceful  life  seemed  dull 
and  insipid  to  them.  They  had  actually  acquired  a 
relish  for  danger. 

Large  numbers  were  hastening  forward  to  secure  to 
themselves  the  choice  of  the  best  locations.  For  that 
purpose,  the  pioneers  set  out  in  parties,  and  traveled  to- 
gether far  beyond  the  border;  then,  separating,  they 
roamed  over  a  vast  extent  of  country,  selecting  each  a 
place  for  himself.  Thus  settling  down  alone,  and  living 
in  entire  seclusion,  they  in  a  short  time  acquired  habits 
utterly  inconsistent  with  the  development  of  civilization 
A  close,  compact  neighborhood  soon  came  to  be  unendur- 
able. One  man  is  said  to  have  abandoned  his  clearing, 
and  removed  further  west,  because  somebody  else  had 
come  so  near  to  him  that  he  could  hear  the  crack  of  his 
rifle.  And  another,  observing  a  smoke  rising  over  the 
other  side  of  the  valley  where  he  had  located,  traveled 
fifteen  miles  to  reach  it;  and,  finding  a  settler  there,  quit 
the  country  in  disgust,  population  having  become  too 
dense  for  him.  But  these,  probably,  are  extreme  cases. 
It. is  well  known,  however,  that,  when  the  English  had 
undertaken  the  subjugation  of  the  wilderness,  they  at- 
tempted it  in  a  manner  without  a  precedent  in  history. 
They  did  not  sweep  down  suddenly  upon  it,  with  a  force 
that  would  reduce  its  savage  inhabitants  at  once  into  sub- 
mission; but,  by  a  sort  of  hectoring  process,  they  wore 
away  upon  the  woods,  chafing  and  exasperating  the  In- 
dians while  gradually  exterminating  them.  The  English 
colonists,  in  the  West,  did  not  compromise  with  danger  — 
they  boldly  took  it  by  the  beard. 

The  success  of  these  early  adventurers  is  almost  a 
miracle  in  colonization.  Nation  has  heretofore  precipi- 
tated itself  upon  nation,  conquering  the  occupants  of  the 


YANKEE   PIONEERS.  141 

soil,  and  seizing  upon  their  possessions.  But  in  the  case 
of  the  English  settlement  of  the  western  country,  we  find 
that  isolated  emigrants,  without  the  benefits  of  a  military 
or  of  a  civil  organization,  relying  solely  upon  their  own 
bravery,  and  the  assistance  of  each  other,  took  and  held 
the  possession  of  an  extensive  country,  and  laid  the 
foundations  of  powerful  states.  They  kept  falling,  it  is 
true,  under  the  knife  and  the  tomahawk,  and  would  have 
become  entirely  cut  off,  had  it  not  been  for  the  incessant 
streams  of  population  supplying  the  waste  of  life,  until 
the  Indfans,  discouraged  in  a  contest  with  an  enemy 
whom  no  defeat  could  dishearten,  sought  safety  in  the 
most  abject  submission. 

Such  men,  exposed  to  constant  peril,  and  compelled  to 
be  on  their  guard  at  all  times  and  places  to  avoid  being 
surprised  and  slain,  driven  by  necessity  into  fearful  en- 
counters with  the  wily  savages  in  the  defense  of  home 
and  kindred,  of  necessity  became  fearless,  reckless,  implac- 
able, and  eager  for  victory  and  for  vengeance.  In  time 
it  was  ascertained  that  the  hostility  of  the  Indian  races 
was  not  so  much  excited  against  the  English  as  a  peo- 
ple, as  against  the  settlers  that  were  crowding  in  upon 
them.  It  was,  therefore,  an  easy  matter,  after  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war  between  Great  Britain  and  her  revolted 
colonies,  to  array  the  exasperated  tribes  of  the  West 
against  the  Anglo-Americans. 

One  general  trait  has  always  characterized  the  frontier 
settlers  of  the  wilderness.  They  were  daring,  boisterous, 
enterprising  men.  They  were  robust,  rugged,  tough  — 
caring  nothing  for  luxuries  or  for  comforts,  and  capable 
of  enduring  any  amount  of  exposure  without  injury.  The 
forerunners  of  civilization  were  not  carpet  knights,  bask- 
ing in  the  sunshine  of  a  smile,  and  trembling  at  a  frown, 
but  men  of  iron  nerves.  Wild  as  untamed  nature,  they 


142  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

could  scream  with  the  panther,  howl  with  the  wolf,  whoop 
with  the  Indian,  and  fight  all  creation.  Forever  going 
through  hair-breadth  escapes,  some  of  them  became  indif- 
ferent to  every  peril,  and  would  "chaw  "two  inches  of 
live  bear's  tail  for  the  toothache,  quite  careless  whether 
bruin  was  pleased  with  the  performance  or  not.  One 
grizzly  old  fellow,  slightly  stoop-shouldered,  with  a  great 
burned  strip  down  his  cheek,  his  left  eye  twisted  round 
sideways,  having  been  tomahawked,  and  had  his  scalp 
started,  said  he  believed  he  might  yet  be  killed  sometime, 
as  the  lightning  had  tried  him  on  once,  and  would  have 
done  the  business  for  him,  if  he  had  n't  dodged. 

The  pioneers,  living  in  constant  contact  with  the  Indians, 
necessarily  became  more  than  half  savages  in  appearance, 
habits,  and  manners;  and  frequently  the  whole  savage 
character  was  assumed.  Their  ordinary  dress  was  too 
unique  to  be  forgotten.  A  coonskin  cap,  with  the  tail 
dangling  at  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  the  snout  drooping 
upon  the  forehead ;  long  buckskin  leggins,  sewed  with  a 
wide,  fringed  welt,  down  the  outside  of  the  leg ;  a  long, 
narrow  strip  of  coarse  cloth,  passing  around  the  hips  and 
between  the  thighs,  was  brought  up  before  and  behind 
under  the  belt,  and  hung  down  flapping  as  they  walked; 
a  loose,  deerskin  frock,  open  in  front,  and  lapping  once 
and  a  half  round  the  body,  was  belted  at  the  middle, 
forming  convenient  wallets  on  each  side  for  chunks  of  hoe- 
cake,  tow,  jerked  venison,  screw  drivers,  and  other  fixings; 
and  Indian  moccasins  completed*  the  hunter's  apparel. 
Over  the  whole  was  slung  a  bullet-pouch  and  pow- 
der-horn. From  behind  the  left  hip  dangled  a  scalp- 
ing-knife;  from  the  right  protruded  the  handle  of  a 
hatchet;  both  weapons  stuck  in  leathern  cases.  Every 
hunter  carried  an  awl,  a  roll  of  buckskin,  and  strings 
of  hide,  called  "whangs/'  for  thread.  In  the  winter 


TOMAHAWK   RIGHTS.  143 

loose  deer-hair  was  stuffed  into  the  moccasins  to  keep  the 
feet  warm. 

The  pioneers  lived  in  rude  log-houses,  covered,  gener- 
ally, with  pieces  of  timber,  about  three  feet  in  length  and 
six  inches  in  width,  called  "  shakes,"  and  laid  over  the  roof 
instead  of  shingles.  They  had  neither  nails,  glass,  saws, 
nor  brick.  The  houses  had  huge  slab  doors,  pinned 
together.  The  light  came  down  the  chimney,  or  through 
a  hole  in  the  logs,  covered  with  greased  cloth.  A  scraggy 
hemlock  sapling,  the  knots  left  a  foot  long,  served  for  a 
stairway  to  the  upper  story.  Their  furniture  consisted 
of  tamarack  bedsteads  framed  into  the  walls,  a  few  shelves 
supported  on  long  wooden  pins ;  sometimes  a  chair  or  two, 
but  more  often,  a  piece  split  off  a  tree,  and  so  trimmed, 
that  the  branches  served  for  legs.  Their  utensils  were 
very  simple ;  generally  nothing  but  a  skillet,  which  served 
for  baking,  boiling,  roasting,  washing  dishes,  making 
mush,  scalding  turkeys,  cooking  sassafras  tea,  and  making 
soap.  A  Johnny-cake  board,  instead  of  a  dripping-pan, 
hung  on  a  peg  in  every  house.  The  corn  was  cracked 
into  a  coarse  meal,  by  pounding  it  in  a  wooden  mortar. 
As  soon  as  swine  could  be  kept  away  from  the  bears,  or, 
rather,  the  bears  away  from  them,  the  pioneers  indulged 
in  a  dish  of  pork  and  corn,  boiled  together,  and  known 
among  them  as  "hog  and  hominy."  Fried  pork  they 
called  "  old  Ned." 

"Unlike  the  French,  who  clustered  in  villages,  and  had 
their  common  fields,  our  Yankee  settlers  went  the  whole 
length  for  individual  property.  Each  settler  claimed  for 
himself  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  the  privilege  of 
taking  a  thousand  acres  more,  contiguous  to  his  clearing. 
Each  one  run  out  his  own  lines  for  himself,  chipping  the 
bark  off  the  trees,  and  cutting  his  name  in  the  wood. 
These  claims,  so  loosely  asserted,  were  called  "  tomahawk 


144  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

rights,"  and  were  respected  by  all  the  emigrants.  Each 
settler  went  to  felling  the  timber  and  chopping  house-logs, 
sleeping,  meanwhile,  under  a  bark  cover  raised  on  crotches, 
or  under  a  tree.  It  is  said  of  one  of  them  that  he  could 
hardly  stomach  his  house,  after  it  was  done.  The  door- 
way was  open,  the  logs  unchinked,  and  the  chimney  gaped 
wide  above  him;  but  the  air  was  too  "cluss-,"  —  he  had  to 
sleep  outside  for  a  night  or  two  to  get  used  -to  it. 

Such  were  the  people,  and  such  their  modes  of  living, 
that  began  to  spread  themselves  throughout  the  West, 
between  the  close  of  Pontiac's  war  and  the  commence- 
ment of  the  American  Revolution.  Then,  when  that 
struggle  came  on,  new  difficulties  gathered  thickly  around 
the  scattered  settlements.  The  reduction  of  the  wilder- 
ness was  a  huge  task  of  itself,  even  with  every  encour- 
agement, and  without  opposition  of  any  sort.  But  the 
Anglo-Saxon  seems  to  have  had  everything  arranged 
against  him.  Not  only  the  forest,  and  the  wild  beasts, 
and  untold  privations,  stood  in  the  way  of  his  progress 
but  the  French  first  tried  to  crowd  him  out;  then 
Indians  sought  to  kill  him;  and,  lastly,  the  British  turned 
against  their  own  flesh  and  blood,  and  bribed  the  savagll 
to  take  his  life.  While  the  armies  of  England  were  rav- 
aging and  wasting  the  whole  Atlantic  coast,  from  Mas- 
sachusetts to  Georgia,  the  British  governor  at  Detroit,  and 
his  agents  at  the  forts  on  the  Wabash  and  Maumee  rivers, 
and  at  Kaskaskia,  were  busily  engaged  in  inciting  the 
Indians  to  deeds  of  rapine  and  murder  on  the  western 
frontier.  The  terrible  scenes  of  the  old  French  war, 
and  of  Pontiac's  war,  were  beginning  to  be  reenacted. 
But  the  pioneers  were  now  of  a  different  temper  altogether 
from  those  who  had  suffered  previously  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia,  and  who  had  fled  in  terror  from  their  own  burn- 
ing habitations.  The  Yankee  pioneers  did  not  wait  to  be 


CLARK    AT   THE   WEST.  145 

smoked  out,  and  have  their  throats  cut,  and  their  scalps 
torn  off  their  heads.  That  was  a  game  they  could  par- 
ticipate in  as  well  as  their  enemies. 

No  sooner,  therefore,  was  it  known  that  British  emissa- 
ries were  at  work  among  the  savages,  stirring  them  up  to 
deadly  strife  against  the  American  settlers,  than  it  was 
determined  upon  to  carry  the  war  into  the  wilderness 
itself, — to  the  very  doors  of  the  enemy.  Patrick  Henry 
was  one  of  the  first  to  set  the  ball  of  the  Revolution  in 
motion.  His  eloquence  as  an  orator  was  not  greater  than 
his  foresight  as  a  statesman.  It  is  to  his  perception  of 
the  designs  of  Great  Britain  upon  the  western  country, 
that  the  United  States  are  indebted  for  the  preservation 
of  the  immense  region  to  the  north  of  the  river  Ohio.  In 
1778,  Patrick  Henry  was  the  governor  of  Virginia.  He 
had  planned  a  secret  expedition  against  the  British  forts 
in  the  Illinois  country.  And  on  the  second  day  of  Janu- 
ary, Governor  Henry  issued  his  instructions  to  Lieutenant- 
colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  directing  him  to  "Proceed 
with  all  convenient  speed  to  raise  seven  companies  of  sol- 
diers, to  consist  of  fifty  men  each,  officered  in  the  usual 
manner,  and  armed  most  properly  for  the  enterprise,  and 
with  that  force  to  attack  the  British  fort  at  Kaskaskia." 
His  Excellency  also  directed  Colonel  Clark  "to  apply  to 
the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Pitt  for  boats."  He  fur- 
ther cautioned  him :  "  During  the  whole  transaction,  you 
are  to  take  especial  care  to  keep  the  true  destination  of 
your  force  secret; — its  success  depejids  on  this." 

The  evidence  of  British  agency  among  the  Indians  was 
full  and  complete.  It  had  been  ascertained  that  the 
British  commissioners,  at  a  great  council,  had  told  the 
chiefs  that  the  people  of  the  States  were  few  in  number, 
and  might  easily  be  subdued;  and  that,  on  account  of 
their  disobedience  to  the  king,  they  justly  merited  all  the 
7  J 


146  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

punishment  which  white  men  and  Indians  could  possibly 
inflict  upon  them.  They  had  added,  that  the  king  was 
rich  and  powerful,  both  in  subjects  and  in  money ;  that 
his  rum  was  as  plenty  as  the  water  in  the  lakes ;  and  that, 
if  the  Indians  would  assist  in  the  war  until  its  close,  they 
should  never  want  for  money  or  goods.  To  complete  the 
atrocity,  they  offered  rewards  for  the  scalps  of  men,  wo- 
men, and  children.  In  consequence  of  these  representa- 
tions and  persuasions,  the  tribes  had  eagerly  espoused  the 
quarrel  of  Great  Britain,  and  were  being  supplied  with 
their  weapons,  and  ammunition,  and  with  presents,  at  the 
various  British  forts  from  Detroit  to  Kaskaskia.  Fort 
Chartres  was  now  no  longer  occupied.  It  had  been  un- 
dermined in  1772,  by  the  Mississippi,  and  since  then  it 
had  been  abandoned. 

Now,  the  expedition  through  the  hostile  wilderness,  for 
the  reduction  of  those  forts,  and  for  the  purpose  of  over- 
awing -the  Indians,  could  not  have  been  confided  to  better 
hands.  George  Rogers  Clark  was  a  Virginian  by  birth. 
He  had  become  a  pioneer  from  choice.  His  military 
genius  made  him  the  most  prominent  defender  of  the 
West,  at  the  most  critical  period  of  American  history. 
Colonel  Clark  was  one  of  the  finest  appearing  men  of  his 
time.  He  would  have  attracted  attention  among  a  thou- 
sand. Conscious  dignity  sat  gracefully  upon  him.  His 
commanding  presence  was  made  pleasing  by  uncommon 
sweetness  of  temper,  and  particularly  agreeable  by  the 
manliness  of  his  deportment,  the  intelligence  of  his  con- 
versation, and,  above  all,  by  the  vivacity  and  boldness  of 
his  spirit.  Colonel  Clark  was  born  a  general.  He  cer- 
tainly was  the  most  competent  officer  that  ever  led  an 
army  against  the  Indians ;  and  he  seems  to  have  had  a 
tact  for  managing  those  impulsive,  uncontrollable  beings 
better  than  any  other  person.  He  possessed  extraordinary 


CLAKK  DESCENDS  THE  OHIO.        147 

military  talents,  and  an  energy  of  character  that  enabled 
him  to  plan  with  consummate  wisdom,  and  to  execute  his 
designs  with  great  decision  and  promptitude.  He  seems 
to  have  been  able  to  penetrate  the  designs  of  the  enemy 
with  the  utmost  exactness,  and  never  once  failed  in  antic- 
ipating and  defeating  their  hostile  movements.  His 
judgment  was  unerring.  He  never  hesitated.  He  never 
was  rash.  And  he  was  successful  where  failure  would 
seem  to  have  been  inevitable. 

The  only  means  that  were  furnished  to  Colonel  Clark 
for  his  expedition,  besides  the  order  for  boats  and  ammuni- 
tion, consisted  of  twelve  hundred  dollars  in  depreciated 
paper,  and  a  promised  bounty  of  three  hundred  acres  of 
land  to  each  private.  He  encountered  great  difficulty  in 
recruiting  his  companies  from  the  settlements,  which 
already  were  too  feeble  for  their  own  protection.  And  a 
secret  enterprise  was  decidedly  unpopular.  Colonel  Clark 
set  about  his  preparations  in  January,  but  it  was  not  till 
in  June  following,  that  his  captains  reached  Fort  Pitt 
with  their  levies,  in  all  less  than  six,  in  complete  compa- 
nies. With  these  he  descended  the  Ohio  to  the  falls,  and 
encamped  a  while  on  Corn  Island,  in  hopes  of  receiving 
additions  from  the  Kentucky  stations;  but  it  was  deemed 
inexpedient  to  reduce  their  strength.  AVith  one  hundred 
and  fifty-three  men,  armed  after  the  Indian  fashion,  Col- 
onel Clark  floated  down  the  river  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Tennessee.  Having  there  obtained  information  relative 
to  the  actual  condition  of  the  British  posts  on  the  Upper 
Mississippi,  he  determined  to  march  overland,  and  surprise 
Kaskaskia.  Causing  his  boats  to  be  sunk  for  concealment, 
he  led  his  force  through  the  wilderness,  across  extensive 
marshes,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles, 
each  man  carrying  his  own  rations  and  baggage.  The 
troops  were  often  knee-deep  in  the  water  upon  the  marshes. 


148  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

They  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  Kaskaskia  on  the  evening 
of  the  fourth  of  July,  1778.  At  midnight,Colonel  Clark 
told  his  men  "  That  the  town  and  fort  were  to  be  taken 
at  all  hazards."  The  principal  street  was  immediately 
secured,  and  a  guard  stationed  at  every  avenue.  All  was 
still.  Lieutenant-governor  Rocheblane,  the  British  com- 
mandant, believing  his  post  was  entirely  safe  at  so  great 
a  distance  from  the  American  settlements,  had  neglected 
setting  a  guard.  The  very  gate  of  Fort  Gage  had  been 
left  open.  Colonel  Clark  had  captured  a  guide,  and  he 
compelled  him  to  lead  the  way  into  the  fort.  The  sleep- 
ing garrison  were  entirely  surrounded.  Rocheblane,  while 
reposing  with  his  wife,  was  awakened  by  a  gentle  tap  on 
the  shoulder,  to  find  himself  a  prisoner,  and  to  order  the 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  fortress. 

The  town  of  Kaskaskia  then  contained  two  hundred 
and  fifty  houses,  and  about  three  thousand  inhabitants, 
having  become  reduced  somewhat  since  the  English  had 
gone  into  possession.  It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Runners  were  dispatched,  to  warn  the  people, 
in  the  French  tongue,  that  every  enemy  found  in  the 
streets  should  be  instantly  shot.  A  strict  patrol  was  estab- 
lished, and  the  inhabitants  were  commanded  to  be  quiet 
within  doors,  on  peril  of  their  lives.  The  Americans  kept 
up  a  terrible  tumult  in  the  streets,  rattling  their  arms,  and 
whooping  and  yelling  like  so  many  savages ;  during  which, 
a  sergeant's  guard  entered  the  houses,  and  completely  dis- 
armed the  frightened  population  before  daylight.  All 
intercourse  from  house  to  house  had  been  strictly  pro- 
hibited ;  and  Colonel  Clark,  in  full  possession  of  the  fort, 
had  every  part  of  the  town  within  range  of  its  guns. 
During  the  next  day,  communications  with  the  troops 
were  forbidden.  Several  British  militia  officers  were 
unceremoniously  put  in  irons.  The  words  of  the  com- 


CLARK   AT   KASKASKIA.  149 

mander  were  few  and  stern.  Every  movement  of  his  men 
was  made  with  the  most  rigid  military  discipline.  The 
town  was  placed  under  martial  law.  The  mongrel  popu- 
lation, terribly  scared,  felt  themselves  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  an  inexorable  enemy — the  dreaded  "Bostonais," 
whom  they  had  been  taught  to  fear  and  hate  from  child- 
hood. At  length  a  deputation,  headed  by  the  village 
priest,  besought  Colonel  Clark  not  to  tear  them  from  each 
other,  and  from  their  wives  and  children,  and  that  some- 
thing might  be  allowed  their  families  for  their  support. 
Colonel  Clark  replied  :  "  Do  you  think  Americans  will 
make  war  on  women  and  children,  and  take  the  bread  out 
of  their  mouths  ?  To  prevent  the  butchery  of  our  own 
wives  and  children,  we  have  taken  arms,  and  penetrated 
to  this  remote  stronghold  of  British  and  Indian  barbarity ; 
and  not  for  the  purpose  of  plundering  you.  The  people 
of  Kaskaskia,  their  families  and  property,  shall  be  safe. 
They  shall  not  be  molested  by  Americans.  The  British 
have  told  you  lies  concerning  us.  Tell  your  people  they 
are  at  liberty  to  do  as  they  please."  Soon  the  bells  were 
ringing,  and  the  whole  population  came  forth  to  profess 
themselves  firmly  attached  to  the  United  States. 

Cahokia  was  captured  with  equal  secrecy  and  celerity. 
Colonel  Clark  then  proceeded  to  reorganize  the  civil 
government;  and  he  placed  in  office  prominent  French 
residents.  The  people  rejoiced  at  this  change  from  British 
rule,  and  seemed  gladly  to  espouse  the  American  cause. 
From  being  enemies  they  had  become  friends.  That  was 
the  result  of  Colonel  Clark's  firm  and  prudent  manage- 
ment with  them.  The  imperious  and  insolent  Rocheblane 
was  sent,  under  guard,  to  Virginia  as  a  prisoner  of  war. 
After  that,  through  the  influence  of  the  Kaskaskians,  the 
inhabitants  of  Virginia  also  were  induced  to  declare  them- 
selves for  the  United  States.  And  the  new  commandant 


150  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

for  that  post,  Captain  Helm,  was  received  with  acclama- 
tions by  the  people. 

With  the  first  of  September  came  new  difficulties.  The 
troops  had  been  enlisted  for  three  months  only.  Seventy 
of  his  men  had  returned  home.  To  supply  their  places, 
Colonel  Clark  organized  one  company  of  the  inhabitants 
under  their  own  officers ;  and  before  the  close  of  September, 
alarmed  at  his  inroads  into  their  country,  the  Indians 
were  seeking  to  open  negotiations  with  him.  From  long 
acquaintance  with  the  Indian  character,  Colonel  Clark 
maintained  a  stern  reserve,  until  they  should  ask  for  peace ; 
and  he  kept  on  fighting  them  fiercely  until  they  did  sue 
for  it  in  earnest.  And  whenever  he  treated  with  them, 
he  made  them  but  few  presents,  because  the  giving  of 
presents  was  regarded  by  them  as  indicative  of  fear.  In 
all  his  negotiations,  he  made  a  deep  impression  on  the 
Indians,  by  his  fearlessness,  reserve,  and  prompt  decision ; 
and  in  a  little  while  they  began  to  feel  a  wholesome  dread 
of  his  authority,  which  had  been  wholly  unknown  before. 

The  name  of  Clark  soon  became  a  terror  among  the 
north-western  tribes,  because  of  his  rapid  movements,  and 
the  daring  courage  of  his  troops ;  and  before  the  middle 
of  December,  Indian  hostilities  had  nearly  ceased.  So 
friendly  had  the  French  become  to  the  Americans,  under 
his  skillful  treatment  of  them,  that  Captain  Helm,  with 
two  soldiers  only,  and  the  volunteer  militia,  held  posses- 
sion of  the  Fort  of  Vinoennes.  The  whole  regular  force  at 
Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  was  less  than  one  hundred  men. 
In  the  meantime,  the  jurisdiction  of  Virginia  had  been 
formally  extended  over  the  settlements  of  the  Wabash 
and  the  Upper  Mississippi,  by  the  organization  of  the 
"  County  of  Illinois."  Colonel  John  Todd  had  been 
appointed  civil  commandant. 

Soon  the  state  of  things  in  Indiana  and  Illinois  had 


RUSE  OF  CAPTAIN  HELM.          151 

become  known  at  Detroit.  The  British  governor,  Ham- 
ilton, determined  on  recapturing  the  military  posts 
that  had  fallen  into  Colonel  Clark's  hands.  With  eighty 
regulars,  a  large  body  of  Canadian  militia,  and  six  hundred 
Indians,  Hamilton  ascended  the  Maumee,  crossed  over  to 
the  Wabash,  and  made  a  rapid  descent  upon  Vincennes. 
He  was  going  to  take  the  fort  by  storm,  and  put  the  gar- 
rison to  the  sword.  On  came  the  red-coats  and  savages, 
certain  of  success.  But  Captain  Helm  was  not  a  man  to 
be  frightened  from  his  self-possession.  With  an  air  of 
confidence,  as  if  the  fort  was  filled  with  soldiers  to  back 
him,  he  sprang  upon  a  bastion  near  a  cannon,  and  swing- 
ing his  lighted'  match,  shouted  in  a  voice  of  thunder  to  the 
advancing  column  to  "  Halt!"  or  he  would  "  blow  them  to 
atoms !"  The  Indians  scud  for  the  woods,  and  the 
Canadians  fell  back  a  little,  to  get  out  of  range.  Hamil- 
ton was  surprised,  and  thought  possibly,  the  fort  might  be 
well  manned,  and  that  it  might  make  a  desperate  resist- 
ance. So  he  stopped  to  parley.  Captain  Helm  declared 
he  would  fight  as  long  as  a  soldier  remained  to  shoulder 
a  rifle,  unless  he  was  allowed  to  march  out  with  the  full 
honors  of  war.  At  last,  the  honors  of  war  were  agreed 
to,  and  then  the  fort  was  thrown  open,  and  Captain  Helm 
and  five  men,  all  told,  marched  out,  with  due  formality. 
The  astonished  Briton  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes. 

After  his  great  achievement  in  taking  Vincennes, 
Hamilton,  as  the  winter  had  set  in  with  much  rain  and 
snow,  concluded  to  postpone  the  recapture  of  Kaskaskia 
until  the  return  of  spring,  when  he  expected  to  be  largely 
reinforced  by  Indians  from  Michilimackinac.  Permitting 
the  Canadian  militia  to  return  home,  he  dispatched  the 
Indian  warriors  to  ravage  the  borders  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Virginia.  Late  in  January,  Colonel  Clark  received 
intelligence  that  Hamilton  was  at  Vincennes,  with  only 


152  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

fifty  soldiers,  and  that  the  savages  had  departed  for  the 
east.  Now,  therefore,  his  time  for  action  was  come.  The 
British  instigator  of  Indian  barbarities  Blight  be  cap- 
tured. Fitting  up  a  large  keel-boat  with  two  four-pounders 
and  four  swivels,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Rodg- 
ers,  with  forty  men,  Colonel  Clark  ordered  it  to  as- 
cend the  Wabash  to  within  a  few  miles  of  the  mouth  of 
the  White  River ;  and  there  Rodgers  was  to  await  further 
orders. 

On  the  seventh  day  of  February,  Colonel  Clark,  with 
one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  began  a  march  for  Vincennes. 
The  distance  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  through 
forest  and  prairie.  The  only  road-mark  was  an  Indian 
trail,  beaten  deep  in  the  ground.  All  the  streams  were 
very  much  swollen.  The  rivers  had  inundated  their 
bottoms  from  bluff  to  bluff,  often  several  miles  in  width. 
In  addition  to  their  rifles,  the  soldiers  carried  knapsacks, 
filled  with  parched  corn  and  jerked  beef.  When  they  had 
arrived  at  the  Little  Wabash,  the  bottom-lands  were  inun- 
dated to  the  width  of  three  or  four  miles.  The  water  was 
four  feet  deep.  Through  these  lowlands  the  battalion 
were  under  the  necessity  of  marching,  feeling  for  the 
trail  with  their  feet,  and  holding  their  guns  and  ammu- 
nition high  above  their  heads.  In  five  days  more  they 
reached  the  Wabash,  nine  miles  below  Vincennes.  The 
boat  had  not  arrived.  Two  days  were  spent  in  unavailing 
efforts  to  cross  the  river.  At  length,  on  the  twentieth,  a 
boat  was  captured.  And  when  the  troops  had  been  car- 
ried over,  they  had  afterward  to  wade  up  to  their  arm- 
pits before  reaching  the  highlands. 

At  twilight,  on  the  evening  of  the  twenty -third,  Colonel 
Clark  ordered  the  soldiers  on  parade,  near  the  summit  of 
a  hill,  within  sight  of  the  fort ;  and  kept  them  marching 


HAMILTON'S  SURRENDER.  153 

for  a  long  time,  in  such  manner,  that,  to  Hamilton,  a 
great  arrny  appeared  to  be  approaching.  He  had  seen, 
he  thought,  nigh  a  thousand  men,  well  appointed,  and  in 
good  order,  with  colors  flying.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Vincennes,  friendly  to  the  Americans,  assisted  to  in- 
vest the  fort.  In  the  dead  of  night  a  deep  ditch  was  dug., 
within  rifle-shot  of  the  fortress ;  and  before  morning  a 
body  of  marksmen  had  been  stationed  therein  to  pick  off 
the  garrison.  Every  gunner  that  attempted  to  squint 
along  the  cannon  of  the  fort  was  killed.  Not  a  British 
soldier  dared  so  much  as  show  an  eye  at  a  loop-hole.  On 
the  twenty-fifth  Hamilton  surrendered. 

During  the  siege,  a  war-party  of  British  Indians  was 
discovered  on  their  return  from  the  east,  with  two  white 
prisoners.  Clark  gave  them  battle,  and  defeated- them, 
recapturing  the  prisoners.  A  few  days  later,  it  was  re- 
ported that  a  great  quantity  of  military  stores,  together 
with  Indian  goods,  were  approaching  from  Detroit, 
guarded  by  an  escort  of  forty  men.  Captain  Helm  was 
dispatched  with  two  companies  to  intercept  them.  He 
captured  the  entire  party,  without  the  loss  of  a  man,  and 
he  brought  in  the  goods,  which  amounted  to  ten  thousand 
pounds  in  value.  The  British  soldiers  were  dismissed  on 
parole ;  but  Hamilton,  Major  Hay,  and  a  few  subordinate 
officers,  were  sent,  strongly,  guarded,  to  Virginia,  to  an- 
swer for  the  crime  of  inciting  Indian  murders  along  the 
frontiers.  Governor  Hamilton  and  his  associates  were 
put  in  irons,  and  kept  in  close  confinement,  in  retaliation 
for  the  massacres  that  had  been  planned  and  instigated 
by  them. 

After  that,  no  further  attempts  were  ever  made  by  the 
British  to  recover  the  posts  on  the  Wabash  and  Upper 
Mississippi.  Colonel  Clark,  having  achieved  the  conquest 

7» 


154  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

of  the  West,  continued  to  hold  military  possession  of  it 
until  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  recruiting  his  troops, 
supplying  his  stores,  keeping  the  Indians  in  check,  un- 
aided, alone,  and  without  money,  a  thousand  miles  in  the 
•wilderness.  And  at  the  treaty  for  peace,  Great  Britain 
conceded  that  this  territory  belonged  to  the  United 
States,  mainly  on  the  ground  of  its  having  been  con- 
quered by  Colonel  Clark. 


POLITICAL   ORGANIZATION.  155 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    NORTHWESTERN    TERRITORY. 

Political  organization  —  Permanent  territorial  laws  —  First  and  second 
grade  —  First  church  and  schools  — •  Cincinnati  and  North  Bend  — 
First  civil  court  in  the  territory  —  Lawyers  of  the  Northwestern  Ter- 
ritory—  Their  manner  of  traveling  from  one  court  to  another — The 
British  posts  in  the  territory  surrendered  to  the  United  States. 

THE  review  which  has  thus  far  been  taken,  of  the  early 
history  of  the  great  West,  has  brought  us  down  to  a  period 
when  society  there  first  began  to  assume  a  political  form. 
No  longer  dealing  with  the  general  affairs  of  the  whole 
boundless  region,  our  course  hereafter  will  lead  to  the 
contemplation  of  those  states  and  territories  which  have 
been  carved  out  of  the  wilderness,  and  to  a  consideration 
of  some  of  the  advantages  of  position,  of  soils,  of  climate; 
the  facilities  for  farming,  mining,  lumbering,  manufactur- 
ing, and  for  commercial  pursuits  possessed  by  each  of  them. 

The  first  political  designation  of  the  western  country, 
under  the  authority  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
was  that  of  the  "  Northwestern  Territory,"  comprising  all 
the  American  possessions  north-west  of  the  River  Ohio, 
over  which,  in  1787,  a  form  of  government  was  estab- 
lished, to  continue  until  the  inhabitants  should  increase  to 
a  sufficient  number  to  entitle  them  to  state  governments. 
Previous  to  that  time,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New 
York,  and  Virginia,  had  each  laid  claim  to  that  region,  by 
virtue  of  their  royal  charters,  which  had  left  their  western 
boundaries  undefined.  And  Virginia  had  claimed  under 
another  title,  also,  which  was  clearly  indisputable  —  the 
title  of  conquest.  For  Colonel  Clark,  throughout  all  his 


J56  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

campaigns  on  the  Wabash  and  Mississippi,  had  been  act- 
ing under  a  commission  issued  by  that  state.  But,  after 
the  Revolution,  these  magnanimous  states  had  consented 
to  an  amicable  adjustment  of  their  claims,  and  had  relin- 
quished each  its  individual  interest  to  the  federal  govern- 
ment, for  the  common  benefit  of  the  whole  Union.  Con- 
necticut and  Virginia,  however,  made  reservations  in  their 
acts  of  cession,  but  only  for  the  purpose  of  liquidating 
their  respective  liabilities  to  Revolutionary  soldiers.  The 
reservation  of  the  former  state  was  laid  in  that  part  of 
Ohio  lying  north  of  the  forty-first  parallel  of  latitude,  and 
west  of  the  line  of  Pennsylvania ;  that  of  the  latter  in- 
cluded the  land  between  the  Sciota  and  Little  Miami 
rivers.  The  former  has  been  known  as  the  "Western 
Reserve,"  the  latter  as  the  "  Virginia  Military  District." 
For  that  same  noble  purpose,  the  Congress  also  appro- 
priated a  large  tract  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  Sciota 
River,  known  as  the  "  United  States  Military  District." 
With  these  exceptions,  the  whole  region  of  the  north-west 
had  passed  under  the  authority  of  the  Federal  government, 
and  become  the  property  of  the  Union.  It  may  be  well  to 
state,  that  the  acts  of  cession  were  made  as  follows,  viz  : 
That  of  New  York,  March  first,  1783 ;  that  of  Virginia, 
April  twenty-third,  1784;  that  of  Massachusetts,  April 
nineteenth,  1785;  that  of  Connecticut,  September  thir- 
teenth, 1786 — the  Empire  State  taking  the  lead. 

The  ordinance  of  1787  made  provision  for  the  subse- 
quent division  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  into  not  less 
than  three,  nor  more  than  five  states,  the  Congress  having 
been  restricted  to  these  numbers  by  the  stipulations  of  the 
compact  with  Virginia,  as  a  condition  of  the  act  of  cession. 
That  ordinance  contained  several  articles  that  were  "to 
remain  forever  unalterable,  unless  by  common  consent." 
Among  them  are  the  following : 


PERMANENT   TERRITORIAL   LAWS.  157 

"No  person  shall  ever  be  molested  on  account  of  his 
mode  of  worship  or  religious  sentiments. 

"  No  law  shall  be  passed  that  shall  in  any  manner  what- 
ever interfere  with  or  affect  private  interests  or  engage- 
ments, bona-fide,  and  without  fraud,  previously  formed. 

".No  tax  shall  be  imposed  on  lands,  the  property  of  the 
United  States,  and  in  no  case  shall  non-resident  proprie- 
tors be  taxed  higher  than  resident. 

"  There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servi 
tude  in  the  said  territory,  otherwise  than  in  the  punish- 
ment of  crimes,  whereof  the  paiiy  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted ;  provided,  always,  that  any  person  escaping  into 
the  same,  from  whom  labor  or  service  is  lawfully  claimed 
in  any  of  the  original  states,  such  fugitive  may  be  lawfully 
reclaimed  and  conveyed  to  the  person  claiming  his  or  her 
labor  in  service,  as  aforesaid.". 

The  ordinance  provided  for  the  establishment  of  two 
grades  of  territorial  government.  The  territory,  in  the 
earlier  grade,  would  seem  to  have  been  regarded  as  a  polit- 
ical infant,  that  would  need  wet-nurses,  and  dry-nurses, 
and  swaddling-clothes.  Its  jurisdiction  was  confided  to  a 
governor,  a  secretary,  and  three  judges.  And  the  gover- 
nor was  authorized  to  "adopt  and  publish  such  laws  of 
the  original  states,  civil  and  criminal,  as  might  be  neces- 
sary, and  best  adapted  to  the  circumstances  of  the  district." 
In  the  absence  of  the  governor,  the  secretary  was  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  that  officer.  The  first  grade  of  terri- 
torial dependence  was  to  continue  until  the  number  of  free 
white  males  over  twenty-one  years  should  amount  to  five 
thousand.  Under  the  second  grade,  a  general  assembly 
of  the  territory  was  provided  for,  to  consist  of  the  gover- 
nor, the  legislative  council,  and  the  legislative  assembly. 
The  governor  was  authorized  to  convene,  prorogue,  or 
dissolve,  the  general  assembly,  whenever  he  might  deem  it 


158  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

expedient  to  do  so.  The  second  grade  was  to  continue 
until  the  territory  should  contain  sixty  thousand  souls. 

The  next  summer  after  the  passage  of  the  ordinance, 
the^officers  of  the  new  territorial  government  arrived,  and 
took  up  their  residence  at  Campus  Martius,  now  Marietta. 
They  were  General  Arthur  St.  Glair,  governor;  Winthrop 
Sargent,  secretary ;  and  the  three  judges  for  the  execu- 
tive council.  Campus  Martius  had  the  form  of  a  square, 
and  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  on  each  side.  On 
the  top  of  the  block-houses  were  small  steeples  for  sentry- 
boxes,  bullet-proof.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  strong  pal- 
isade, ten  feet  high.  And  the  buildings,  which  were  all 
within  the  inclosure,  had  been  constructed  of  whip-sawed 
timbers,  four  inches  thick,  dove-tailed  at  the  corners,  and 
covered  with  shingle  roofs.  The  various  rooms  had  fire- 
places and  brick  chimneys.  The  bastions  and  towers 
were  glistening  with  whitewash. 

Most  of  the  settlers  in  the  Northwestern  Territory  were 
men  who  had  spent  the  prime  of  their  lives,  and  had 
exhausted  their  fortunes,  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  A 
body  of  emigrants  of  that  character  left  New  England 
in  1787,  under  the  lead  of  General  Rufus  Putnam,  and, 
descending  the  river,  below  Marietta,  to  a  beautiful  plain, 
formed  the  settlement  of  Belpre.  The  people  carried 
with  them  into  the  woods  the  good  old  customs  and 
steady  habits  of  their  pilgrim  ancestors.  With  character- 
istic energy,  they  had  no  sooner  provided  shelter  for  their 
families,  than  they  set  about  organizing  a  church  and 
establishing  a  school,  toward  which  all  the  inhabitants 
made  contributions  with  right  good  will.  These  were 
the  first  institutions  of  learning  and  religion  ever  built  up 
in  the  Northwestern  Territory. 

In  1789,  Israel  Ludlow  and  Robert  Patterson,  with 
twenty  persons,  erected  the  first  houses  at  Cincinnati,  then 


CINCINNATI  AND  NORTH  BEND.  159 

called  Losanteville.  The  site  of  that  great  city  was  a 
beautiful  woodland  bottom,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  sixty 
feet  above  low-water  mark,  and  extending  back  three 
hundred  yards  to  the  base  of  a  second  bank,  which  rose 
forty  feet  higher,  and  then  sloped  gently  more  than  a  half 
mile  to  the  foot  of  the  bluff.  The  first  bottom  was  cov- 
ered with  a  heavy  growth  of  sycamore,  sugar-maple,  and 
black-walnut;  the  second  with  beeches,  oak,  and  hickory. 
And  in  January  of  that  year,  another  party  passed 
down  the  river  to  North  Bend.  Their  boats  were  novel- 
ties of  river  craft,  consisting  each  of  a  frame-work  of 
logs,  covered  with  green  oak  plank,  and  caulked  with 
rags.  Stowed  snugly  in  these  rude  "arks,"  men,  women, 
and  children,  together  with  their  goods,  floated  down  the 
current  with  the  drifting  ice,  secure  from  rifle-shots.  The 
Indians  kept  popping  away  at  them  from  the  river-banks ; 
but  no  one  was  harmed.  When  the  company  had  landed, 
they  picked  out  quite  a  little  supply  of  lead  from  the 
solid  planking. 

For  several  years  there  was  a  continual  strife  between 
Cincinnati  and  North  Bend  for  superiority  in  the  infant 
territory.  At  first,  North  Bend  had  a  decided  advantage 
over  its  rival.  Judge  Symmes,  the  principal  proprietor, 
had  prevailed  with  General  Harmar  to  have  the  troops  of 
the  territory  stationed  at  that  place ;  and  emigrants  came 
flocking  thither,  because  they  believed  it  was  greatly  more 
secure  from  Indian  attacks  than  any  other  settlement  in 
the  wilderness.  But,  shortly  afterward,  the  officer  in 
command  became  very  much  smitten  with  the  charms  of 
a  beautiful  woman,  the  wife  of  one  of  the  settlers,  and 
paid  to  her  the  most  assiduous  attentions.  The  husband, 
fully  aware  of  his  danger,  broke  up  his  establishment,  and 
removed  his  family  to  Cincinnati.  Immediately  North 
Bend  became  totally  unfit  for  military  occupation,  and 


160  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Cincinnati  was  represented  to  be  the  only  point  from 
which  the  whole  territory  could  be  reached  with  the  pro- 
tecting arm  of  government.  The  troops  in  a  little  while 
were  removed  from  North  Bend,  and  the  advantages  of 
military  occupation  conferred  upon  the  rival  settlement. 
The  population  of  Cincinnati  began  rapidly  to  increase ; 
business  seemed  to  center  there;  and  from  a  rude  log 
village,  the  lonely  settlement  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
has  been  growing  and  thriving,  and  has  become  the 
Queen  City  of  the  West.  The  beautiful  Helen  of  Troy 
was  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  that  ancient  city. 
A  modern  Helen  gave  strength  to  the  foundations  of 
Cincinnati. 

The  first  civil  court  ever  held  in  the  Northwestern 
Territory  was  convened  on  the  second  day  of  September, 
1788,  hi  the  hall  of  the  Campus  Martins.  It  was  the  court 
of  common  pleas,  Rufus  Putnam  and  Benjamin  Tupper, 
justices.  The  opening  of  that  court  in  the  remote  wil- 
derness was  attended  with  an  imposing  ceremony.  A 
procession  having  been  formed  in  the  street,  the  sheriff 
led  the  way  with  a  drawn  sword,  followed  by  the  officers 
of  the  garrison,  members  of  the  bar,  the  supreme  court 
judges,  the  governor,  and  a  clergyman,  and  the  judges  of 
the  common  picas.  On  arriving  at  the  door  of  the  hall, 
the  procession  was  countermarched  into  it,  and  their 
honors,  judges  Putnam  and  Tupper,  took  their  seats  on 
the  bench.  The  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cut- 
ler. Then  the  sheriff  cried  aloud :  "  Oyez !  Oyez !  Oyez ! 
A-  court  is  opened  for  the  administration  of  even-handed 
justice  to  the  poor  and  the  rich,  to  the  guilty  and  the 
innocent,  without  respect  of  persons ;  none  to  be  punished 
without  a  trial  by  their  peers,  and  in  pursuance  of  the 
laws  and  evidence  in  the  case."  There  were  present  a 
great  crowd  of  settlers,  and  several  hundred  Indians. 


LAWYERS    OF  THE  TERRITORY.  161 

After  the  territory  had  become  more  thickly  settled, 
the  general  court  was  held  at  Cincinnati,  Marietta,  and 
Detroit.  The  journeys  of  court  and  bar,  in  those 
early  times,  to  those  remote  places,  would  have  taken  all 
the  conceit  out  of  Blackstone.  They  would  generally 
travel  with  five  or  six  in  company,  with  a  pack-horse  to 
carry  provisions.  Frequently  they  would  be  ten  days 
together  in  the  wilderness,  camping  out  at  night,  and 
swimming  every  stream  that  was  too  deep  to  be  forded. 
On  one  of  those  excursions,  the  learned  gentlemen  were 
kept  awake  all  night  by  the  caterwauling  of  a  couple  of 
panthers,  that  seemed  to  be  hankering  for  a  taste  of  judi- 
cial flesh.  Sometimes,  in  the  winter  season,  the  party 
would  stop  by  the  trail-side,  brush  the  snow  off  a  log, 
and  sit  down  to  frozen  chicken  and  biscuit,  warming  the 
frigid  fare  in  the  stomach  with  frequent  "nips"  of  peach 
brandy.  Once,  in  a  summer  tramp,  the  whole  bar  got 
lost  in  a  swamp,  and  had  to  stand  on  their  feet  all  night, 
doing  penance  for  their  sins  by  liquidating  the  bills  of 
the  musquitoes.  That  was  a  night  of  exquisite  torment, 
and  some  of  the  gentlemen  must  have  had  vivid  impres- 
sions of  what  they  were  coming  to  some  time  or  other. 
At  another  time  it  rained  daily  and  nightly,  and  the  drip- 
ping limbs  of  the  law  shook  and  shivered  in  the  wind. 
Even  the  court  was  moved.  They  all  had  to  lie  down 
and  soak  from  dusk  till  morning,  with  wet  knapsacks  for 
pillows,  and  their  smoking  saddles  drawn  ov«r  their  faces. 
The  lawyers  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  must  have 
had  some  "high  old  times,"  if  all  be  true  that  has  come 
down  to  us  concerning  them.  If  they  did  run  the  risk  of 
losing  their  scalps  on  the  way  to  court,  they  could  easily 
make  it  up  by  skinning  a  client  or  two. 

The  settlements  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  were 
constantly  annoyed  by  Indian  hostilities,  instigated  by 


162  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

British  agents,  residing  at  posts  surreptitiously  erected 
along  the  Maumee  River.  General  Wayne  advanced 
•with  a  large  army  down  that  river,  and  gave  the  Indians 
and  Canadians  battle,  within  sight  of  a  British  fort. 
That  was  on  the  twentieth  day  of  August,  1794.  During 
the  battle,  the  Indians  were  fiercely  driven  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet  more  than  two  miles,  through  thick-fallen 
timber  and  brush ;  and  the  Canadians  fled  in  terror  to  the 
fort.  A  spicy  correspondence  then  followed  between 
General  Wayne  and  Major  Campbell,  the  British  com- 
mandant. The  former  reconnoitered  the  fort  within  range 
of  its  guns,  and  caused  the  troops  to  destroy  all  the 
property  around  it ;  and  they  burned  the  house  and  store 
of  the  British  agent,  Alexander  McKay.  The  spirit  of 
the  Indians  was  completely  broken.  And  in  1796,  all  the 
British  posts  in  the  territory  were  formally  surrendered  to 
tke  United  States. 


\ 


DIVISION   OF   THE   TERRITORY.  165 


CHAPTER  X. 

OHIO. 

Division  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  —  State  government  —  Early 
politics  of  the  state  —  Rapid  growth  of  the  state  —  Its  climate 
and  soil  —  Minerals  —  Salt  springs  —  Water  communications  — 
Crops  —  Domestic  commerce  —  Railroads  —  Institutions  of  learn- 
ing—  Churches  —  Taxable  property,  etc. 

THE  Buckeye  State  came  into  the  Union  in  1803.  Since 
General  Wayne's  successful  campaign,  the  population  of 
the  river  counties  had  been  rapidly  increasing.  A  gen- 
eral feeling  of  security  pervaded  the  entire  Northwestern 
Territory.  The  eastern  part  had  been  separated,  by  act 
of  Congress,  from  the  western,  by  a  line  to  be  run  due 
north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami,  until  it  should 
intersect  the  parallel  of  latitude  which  passes  through  the 
southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  northern 
boundary  of  the  proposed  state  remained  undefined,  by 
actual  survey,  for  several  years,  and  once  came  near 
involving  Ohio  and  Michigan  in  a  war  for  the  possession 
of  the  great  Cotton  wood  Swamp,  back  of  Toledo. 

The  controversy  between  the  executive  and  legislature 
of  the  Northwestern  Territory  was  the  immediate  cause 
of  an  early  attempt  at  the  formation  of  a  state  government. 
Arthur  St.  Clair,  the  governor  of  the  territory,  was  a 
staunch  federalist.  The  majority  of  the  prominent  men 
•were  republicans.  Party  politics  were  running  high,  and 
the  executive  and  legislative  departments  could  not  act  in 
harmony  upon  any  question  whatever.  It  is  due  to  the 
character  of  Governor  St.  Clair  to  say,  that  he  enjoyed 
the  respect  of  the  people  generally.  In  his  manners,  he 


166  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

was  unassuming.  In  his  dress,  plain  and  simple,  without 
ostentation  or  gaudy  equipage.  In  his  deportment,  he  was 
easy  and  frank.  Holding  himself  accessible  to  all  persons, 
he  presented  a  strong  contrast  with  the  austere,  haughty, 
and  repulsive  bearing  of  his  secretary,  Colonel  Winthrop 
Sargent.  But  Governor  St.  Clair  seems  to  have  placed  a 
high  estimate  upon  his  own  judgment,  and  he  rarely 
yielded  to  the  opinions  of  others.  He  was  stubborn,  and 
the  legislature  was  zealous. 

The  administration  of  the  general  government  had 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  republican  party.  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  President.  The  advocates  of  a  state  gov- 
ernment had  made  application  directly  to  Congress,  to 
authorize  the  people  of  the  territory  to  elect  delegates,  for 
the  purpose  of  framing  and  adopting  a  constitution.  Con- 
gress had  granted  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners,  and  had 
directed  the  convention  to  assemble  at  Chilicothe  on  the 
first  Monday  of  November,  1802.  The  returns  of  the 
territorial  census,  taken  during  the  summer  of  that  year, 
had  shown  the  aggregate  white  population  of  the  eastern 
division  to  be  forty-five  thousand  persons.  While  the 
convention  was  in  session,  Governor  St.  Clair,  desirous  of 
participating  in  its  deliberations,  had  sent  word  that  he 
would  forward  a  communication  in  his  official  capacity. 
But  so  zealously  republican  was  that  body,  so  fearful  of 
executive  influence,  that  the  proposition  to  listen  to  St. 
Clair,  as  governor,  had  been  voted  down.  And  then  the 
convention  coolly  resolved,  "  That  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Senior, 
Esquire,  be  permitted  to  address  the  convention  on  those 
subjects  which  he  deems  of  importance."  The  conven- 
tion had  stopped  his  mouth,  as  chief  magistrate,  but  would 
listen  to  him  as  a  man. 

A  constitution  had  been  adopted  on  the  twenty -ninth  of 
November,  and,  with  strange  inconsistency,  had  been 


THE   GROWTH   OF   THE    STATE.  167 

declared  obligatory,  without  having  been  submitted  to  the 
people  for  their  assent.  A  proposition  to  that  effect  had 
been  rejected  by  a  large  majority.  The  delegates  would 
seem  to  have  stood  in  as  great  fear  of  the  people  as  of  the 
governor.  Although  the  ordinance  of  1787  required  a 
population  of  sixty  thousand  souls  to  entitle  the  people  to 
a  state  government,  yet  Congress  had  seen  fit  to  waive 
that  requirement;  and,  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1803,  an  act  was  approved  by  the  President,  fully 
recognizing  the  admission  of  the  State  of  Ohio  into  the 
Federal  Union,  as  a  free  and  independent  state.  Ohio, 
the  eldest  born  of  republicanism,  has  retained  its  repub- 
lican proclivities  to  the  present  day. 

The  growth  of  the  Buckeye  State  has  been  rapid,  beyond 
all  example,  beyond  all  calculation  or  expectation.  In  the 
beginning  of  this  century,  it  was  a  territory  just  emerging 
from  the  wilderness — just  clear  of  savage  marauders;  in 
the  middle  of  it,  a  state,  populous,  powerful,  and  controlling, 
in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  confederacy  that  has  ever  ex- 
isted on  earth.  Ohio  is  eminently  an  agricultural  state. 
The  soil  is  fertile  as  a  garden.  The  land,  descending  gently 
toward  the  south,  is  warm  and  quick;  and  the  climate, 
on  that  account,  is  far  more  mild  than  would  seem  to  be 
indicated  by  the  latitude.  The  general  length  of  the 
state,  from  east  to  west,  is  two  hundred  miles,  and  its 
breadth  about  one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  with  an  area 
of  thirty -nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty-four  square 
miles.  More  than  nine-tenths  of  the  state  is  susceptible 
of  cultivation,  and  three-fourths  of  the  soil  is  eminently 
productive.  The  river  bottoms  are  wide  and  fertile.  In 
the  central  portions,  natural  meadows  are  numerous;  but 
the  greater  part  of  the  country  was  originally  covered  with, 
magnificent  forests  of  oak,  beech,  sugar-maple,  hickory, 
and  whitewood. 


168  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

The  state  of  Ohio  is  rich  in  minerals.  Its  coal  is 
bituminous,  and  the  vast  fields  lie  so  near  the  surface  that, 
in  many  places,  it  is  easier  to  dig  for  fuel  than  to  chop  for 
it.  The  principal  points  where  coal  mines  are  worked, 
are  at  Talmadge,  Summit  county;  Pomeroy,  Meigs 
county ;  Nelsonville,  Athens  county,  and  some  parts  of 
Starke  and  Coshocton  counties.  The  coal  trade  of  Ohio 
might  easily  be  increased  to  twenty  million  dollars  annu- 
ally. The  iron  business  of  the  state  will  some  time  be  of 
great  magnitude  and  importance.  Extending  through  the 
counties  of  Lawrence,  Gallia,  Jackson,  Meigs,  Viuton, 
Athens,  and  Hocking,  is  a  vast  belt  of  iron  ore,  some 
twelve  miles  in  width,  and  more  than  one  hundred  miles 
in  length.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  ore,  so  rich  and 
abundant,  is  susceptible  of  feeding  a  furnace  on  every 
square  mile,  that  would  require  each  one  hundred  hands, 
and  yield  eight  tons  of  iron  per  day,  for  ages.  Coal 
underlies  the  same  region,  and  the  field  there  is  of  the 
best  quality,  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  thickness. 
England,  with  a  coal  region  less  extensive  than  the  two 
counties,  Meigs  and  Athens,  produces,  annually,  fifty  mil- 
lion dollars'  worth  of  iron.  From  that,  we  may  form  some 
estimate  as  to  what  Ohio  will  be  capable  of  doing,  when 
her  mineral  resources  shall  have  been  fully  developed. 

Ohio  has  salt  springs  that  might  be  made  to  compete 
with  those  of  Onondaga.  The  salt  wells  are  on  Yellow 
creek,  above  Steubenville ;  on  Will's  creek ;  on  the  Mus- 
kingum  river,  from  the  Coshocton  to  its  mouth  ;  on  the 
Hockhoddng,  and  on  Leading  creek.  The  depth  of  the 
salt  rock,  below  the  surface,  varies  from  six  hundred  feet 
to  nine  hundred  feet.  The  brine,  at  the  lower  wells  on 
the  Muskingum,  yields  one  hundred  pounds  of  salt  from 
one  hundred  gallons  of  water. 

Ohio,  moreover,  has  direct  communication  with  the 


THE  PRODUCTS  OF  OHIO.  169 

copper  regions  of  the  north,  the  cotton  fields  of  the  south, 
and,  in  addition  to  the  domestic  growth  of  wool,  might 
draw  largely  from  the  prairies  of  Illinois.  There  is  no 
reason  why  Ohio  shall  not  become  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful manufacturing  states  in  the  world.  Although  the 
streams  are  mostly  "dry-weather"  streams,  and  swell 
full  only  with  freshets ;  although  there  are  no  mountains 
to  give  velocity  and  force  to  running  water ;  yet  steam 
can  be  cheaply  substituted  for  water-power.  Along  the 
whole  southern  border,  vessels  may  be  freighted  with  goods, 
and  dispatched  to  one-half  the  states  and  territories  of  the 
Union,  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  Atlantic  ocean. 
And  from  the  northern  border,  rich  cargoes  may  be  sent 
to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  also  up  Lake  Supe- 
rior and  Michigan,  more  than  a  thousand  miles  inland. 
Thus,  with  an  abundance  of  material,  Ohio  has  also  a 
reliable  and  extensive  market  for  all  kinds  of  produce 
and  manufactures. 

The  population  of  Ohio,  in  1790,  was  three  thousand; 
after  sixty  years,  it  had  increased  to  two  millions.  While 
manufactui'es,  and  the  mineral  resources  of  the  state, 
have  been  but  little  developed,  its  agriculture  has  become 
unusually  prosperous.  The  corn  crop  of  Ohio  is  one-tenth 
of  the  whole  crop  of  the  United  States ;  its  wheat  crop, 
one-seventh ;  its  crops  of  oats  and  buckwheat  are  exceeded 
only  by  those  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  its 
barley  by  New  York  alone.  Ohio  owns  one-tenth  of  all 
the  horses  in  the  Union.  It  ranks  next  to  New  York  in 
the  number  of  its  milch  cows  and  other  cattle.  It  has 
more  sheep  than  any  other  state.  One-fifth  of  all  the 
wool  in  the  United  States  is  clipped  in  Ohio. 

The  domestic  commerce  of  Ohio  is  astonishingly  large, 
and  has  been  estimated,  in  its  annual  value,  as  high  as 
one  hundred  and  sixty  million  dollars.  Surprising  as  that 
8 


170  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

amount  may  seem,  it  is  certain,  that  the  domestic 
commerce  is  greatly  on  the  increase.  The  exports  of 
Sandusky,  in  1850,  amounted  to  three  million  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars ;  but  in  1852  they  had  increased  to 
upwards  of  twenty  million  dollars.  The  growth  of  the 
imports,  at  Sandusky,  during  those  two  years,  was  from 
seven  million  dollars  to  forty-five  millions. 

The  capital  of  Ohio  is  very  largely  invested  in  inter- 
nal improvements.  One  of  the  largest  canals  in  America 
connects  Lake  Erie,  at  Cleveland,  with  the  Ohio  River,  at 
Portsmouth ;  another  from  Cincinnati  stretches  across  to 
Toledo ;  — affording  the  productions  of  the  interior  a  con- 
venient outlet  to  the  north  and  the  south.  The  railroads 
cross  each  other  in  all  directions  throughout  the  state. 
They  center,  chiefly,  at  Cleveland  and  Sandusky,  on  the 
lake  coast ;  at  Mansfield,  Newark,  Zanesville,  Columbus, 
Xenia,  Bellefontaine,  Springfield,  and  Dayton,  in  the 
interior;  and  at  Cincinnati,  on  the  river.  Among  these 
roads,  the  most  important  are,  the  Bellefontaine  and 
Indiana,  one  hundred  and  eighteen  miles  in  length  ;  the 
Cincinnati,  Cleveland  and  Columbus,  one  hundred  and 
thirty -five  miles ;  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburg,  one  hun- 
dred miles ;  the  Mad  River  and  Lake  Erie,  one  hundred 
and  thirty -four  miles ;  the  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  miles;  all  of  which  are  com- 
pleted, and  have  several  daily  trains  running  on  them. 
These  roads,  with  their  numerous  branches,  stretch  far 
out  into  the  adjoining  states,  and  connect  with  other  lin^s 
from  Boston,  in  Massachusetts,  to  St.  Louis,  in  Missouri, 
and  bind  the  lakes  in  iron  bands  with  the  Atlantic  coast 
and  with  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  Ohio,  great  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  establish- 
ment of  institutions  of  learning.  There  are  about  twelve 
thousand  common  schools  in  the  state,  and  the  average 


TAXABLE  PROPERTY  OF  OHIO.  171 

daily  attendance  of  scholars  is  four  hundred  thousand. 
There  are  twelve  universities  and  colleges,  and  four 
medical  schools.  The  number  of  libraries  is  forty-eight, 
"with  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  volumes.  The  number 
of  churches  is  about  four  thousand,  accommodating  near 
one  and  a  half  millions  of  persons,  and  owning  property 
to  the  value  of  six  million  dollars.  Ohio  has  twenty-one 
representatives  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
And  the  total  value  of  the  taxable  property  of  the  state 
is  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars.  It  seems 
almost  incredible  that  so  much  wealth  should  have  been 
created,  on  a  tract  of  land  two  hundred  miles  long  and 
one  hundred  and  forty  broad,  in  sixty  years.  With  all 
this  increase,  Ohio,  in  fact,  has  but  just  begun  the 
development  of  its  resources.  The  present  prosperous 
condition  of  that  state  may  be  regarded  merely  as  an 
indication  of  its  future  greatness. 


172  THE  GREAT  WEST. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MICHIGAN. 

French  agriculture  —  Population  —  Geography  —  Geology  —  The  lower 
peninsula — White-oak  openings  —  Bun-oak  openings — "Cat- 
holes" —  Pine  woods  of  the  north — Windfalls  —  Soil  and  fruits  of 
the  lower  peninsula  —  Pasturage  —  Settlements  of  Michigan  —  Com- 
mercial advantages  —  Detroit  and  other  ports — Site  for  a  great 
central  city  —  The  rivers  —  The  lakes  around  Michigan  —  Improved 
lands  —  Annual  products  —  Schools,  churches,  and  other  institu- 
tions—  Attractions  to  the  settler  —  Exemption  laws. 

MICHIGAN,  on  the  first  day  of  July,  1805,  entered  upon 
the  first  grade  of  territorial  government,  under  the  pro- 
visions of  the  ordinance  of  1787.  General  William  Hull 
was  appointed  governor;  and  Detroit  was  the  seat  of 
government.  The  southern  boundary  of  Michigan  Ter- 
ritory, according  to  the  act  of  Congress,  was  to  be  a  line 
running  due  east  from  the  most  southern  part  of  Lake 
Michigan  to  Maumee  Bay.  At  the  time  of  its  organiza- 
tion, the  population  of  the  territory,  exclusive  of  the 
troops  of  the  western  army,  did  not  exceed  three  thou- 
sand; for  the  early  emigration  to  the  West,  at  the 
beginning  of  this  century,  before  the  era  of  steam  navi- 
gation on  the  lakes,  had  taken  a  more  southern  route,  and 
had  flowed  into  the  country  bordering  upon  the  Ohio 
River.  Michigan  was  then  very  difficult  of  access.  The 
territory  was  little  known,  and  but  few  persons  attempted 
to  reach  its  borders.  The  increase  in  the  number  of  the 
inhabitants  went  on  so  slowly  that,  in  1810,  it  contained 
only  eight  thousand  four  hundred  souls. 

In  1796,  when  Michigan,  for  the  first  time,  had  come 


FRENCH  AGRICULTURE.  173 

into  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  the  population,  on  both 
sides  of  the  strait,  from  Lake  St.  Clair  to  the  Kiver 
Eaisin,  was  almost  exclusively  Canadian  French.  They 
were  an  extremely  ignorant  people,  and  made  most  miser- 
able cultivators  of  the  soil.  Their  farms  were  only  a  few 
rods  in  width  upon  the  river,  and  ran  back  nearly  two 
miles,  for  quantity.  The  Canadian  French  seem  to  have 
had  no  idea  of  any  improvement  in  agriculture  having 
been  made  by  any  body,  since  Noah  had  planted  his  vine- 
yard at  the  foot  of  Mount  Ararat.  They  continued  to 
plow,  and  sow,  and  reap,  just  as  their  fathers  had  done 
time  out  of  mind.  Whenever  a  field  had  become  ex- 
hausted, it  was  abandoned.  Instead  of  striving  to  enricb 
their  lands,  the  people  trusted  to  the  efficacy  of  prayers, 
and  threw  the  manure  into  the  river.  Under  such  treat- 
ment, the  soil,  of  necessity,  had  become  reduced,  yielding 
light  crops,  and  provisions  were  extravagantly  high. 

About  the  year  1830,  the  tide  of  emigration  began  to 
set  toward  that  territory.  The  population  had  then 
become  increased  to  twenty-eight  thousand.  Steamboat 
navigation  had  been  opening  a  new  commerce  upon  the 
lakes,  encircling  all  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan.  A 
fleet  of  an  hundred  sail,  sloops  and  schooners,  was  engaged 
in  traversing  every  part  of  these  inland  waters.  On  the 
fifteenth  day  of  June,  1836,  a  state  constitution  had  been 
adopted,  and  Michigan  was  admitted  into  the  Union 
in  the  January  following,  with  a  population  of  nearly  an 
hundred  thousand.  Emigrants  began  to  flock  in  rapidly 
from  the  middle  states,  and  from  New  England.  The 
number  of  inhabitants,  at  the  present  time,  is  about  three 
hundred  and  ninety-eight  thousand;  of  which  Connecticut 
has  furnished  seven  thousand;  Massachusetts,  eight  thou- 
sand; Vermont,  twelve  thousand;  and  New  York,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-four  thousand. 


174  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

The  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan  is  nearly  three  hun- 
dred miles  in  length,  from  north  to  south,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  in  width,  having  an  area  of  about 
forty  thousand  square  miles.  It  is  skirted  by  a  belt  of 
heavily-timbered  land,  about  twenty-five  miles  deep,  sur- 
rounding the  entire  lake  coast,  and  lying  several  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  adjoining  openings.  The  tract  of 
timbered  land,  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  peninsula,  is 
generally  a  dead  level.  The  whole  interior,  however,  is 
gently  rolling,  and,  in  some  parts,  hilly,  though  but 
slightly  so,  just  sufficient  for  wholesome  running  water. 
The  dividing  ridge  which  gives  rise  to  the  river  system 
of  Michigan,  is  considerably  east  of  a  line  drawn  from 
Michilimackinac  through  the  center  of  the  state  to  the 
boundary  of  Ohio ;  and  the  whole  western  slope  de- 
scends gradually  from  that  ridge,  with  an  even,  unbroken 
surface,  to  Lake  Michigan.  The  coast,  however,  ia 
everywhere  high  above  the  level  of  the  lakes ;  and  along 
lakes  Huron  and  Michigan  the  banks  are  steep,  and 
varying  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  feet  in  hight. 

The  lower  peninsula  is  of  the  same  geological  forma- 
tion as  western  New  York.  Its  rocks  consist  of  horizon- 
tal strata  of  limestones,  sandstones,  and  slates;  the 
limestones  being  found  along  the  rivers  near  the  lakes, 
and  the  sandstones  in  the  interior.  The  soil  is  either 
alluvial  or  diluvial,  and  has  a  depth  varying  from  one 
foot  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Quarries  of  sandstone 
have  been  opened  at  several  places  on  the  Grand  River. 
It  admits  of  being  easily  quarried,  furnishing  a  good 
building  material,  and  is  frequently  used  for  grindstones. 
The  limestone  of  Michigan  is,  for  the  most  part,  quite 
compact,  and  well  adapted  to  agricultural  purposes,  gen- 
erally producing  a  valuable  lime  upon  burning,  though 
sometimes  too  silicious  to  be  of  the  best  quality. 


THE  LOWER   PENINSULA.  175 

G-ypsum  has  been  found  in  several  localities.  And  in  all 
those  places  where  the  limestone  formation  exists,  there 
are  indications  of  bituminous  coal. 

The  lower  peninsula  presents  three  different  general 
aspects  to  the  traveler  passing  through  it,  from  south  to 
north.  The  first  is  the  region  of  plains  or  openings. 
These  are  not  bare  of  trees,  like  prairies,  nor  are  .they 
covered  uniformly  and  evenly  with  timber.  The  growth 
and  density  of  the  wood  that  is  scattered  over  them  is 
extremely  various,  though  all  the  openings  are  alike  free 
from  underbrush,  and  a  wagon  might  be  driven  miles  on 
miles  without  obstruction,  or  having  scarcely  to  turn  out 
for  a  fallen  tree.  The  timber  of  the  openings  consists 
entirely  of  oak  and  hickory.  The  latter  clusters  almost 
always  in  groves,  to  the  exclusion  of  other  varieties,  the 
trees  being  merely  young,  thrifty  saplings,  from  three 
inches  to  ten  inches  through,  at  the  root,  and  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet  high.  These  groves  are  found  mostly 
upon  the  elevated  portions  of  gentle  swells  of  ground, 
covering  a  few  acres,  and  surrounded  every  way  by  oak. 
The  hickories  generally  stand  quite  thickly,  as  though 
they  had  been  purposely  planted  for  the  sake  of  nurseries 
of  that  timber,  as  the  locust  tree  is  raised  in  some  parts 
of  New  York. 

The  name  of  the  white-oak  openings  will  indicate  the 
variety  of  timber  to  be  found  wherever  they  exist.  The 
trees  will  be  seen  standing  far  apart,  in  size  from  one 
to  two  feet  through,  the  lower  limbs,  ten  or  twelve  feet 
above  the  ground,  huge  and  gnarled,  spreading  out  wide, 
and  supporting  magnificent  tops  of  branches  and  leaves, 
precisely  like  the  cherished  homestead  trees  of  an  older 
country.  On  the  "timbered"  openings,  the  oaks  grow 
taller,  and  the  bark  is  smoother ;  but  they  do  not  attain  to 
the  hight  of  those  on  timbered  lands.  Then,  again,  there 


THE  GREAT  WEST. 

are  plains  of  red-'oak,  a  tree  which  frequently  stretches  up- 
higher  than  the  white-oak,  its  bark  almost  black,  its  body 
covered  with  pins  formed  of  the  hearts  of  burnt  limbs, 
rough,  scraggy,  and  so  fastened  together  with  knots  as  to 
bid  defiance  to  wedges  and  beetles.  Here  and  there, 
however,  will  be  found  one,  large  and  tall,  that  will  split 
as  free  as  a  shingle.  Such  are  selected  for  "shakes,"  and 
the  settler  delights  in  them  for  rails. 

Also  the  bur-oak  openings  will  inform  the  reader  of 
the  variety  of  oak  growing  upon  them.  These  openings 
are  the  pride  of  Michigan.  The  bur-oak  is  slender  and 
tapering  like  a  poplar.  The  bark  is  lighter  and  spongier 
than  the  white-oak,  the  tree  altogether  more  delicate,  and 
the  limbs  more  graceful.  Scattered  over  the  surface  at 
regular  intervals,  nearly  uniform  in  size,  and  about  twenty- 
five  feet  in  hight,  they  present  the  appearance  of  pear- 
trees  planted  in  immense  orchards.  The  bur-oak  derives 
its  name  from  the  clusters  of  acorns  which  hang  like  burs 
upon  the  ends  of  the  slender  twigs,  and  crown  the  very 
top  of  the  tree.  A  drove  of  hogs,  turned  out  to  feed, 
will  start  on  a  run  for  a  bur-oak  opening,  and  champ  the 
acorns  as  they  would  corn.  Bruin  knows  how  sweet 
these  acorns  are,  and  he  frequently  leaves  his  mark  on 
the  limbs  and  on  the  bark.  The  wild  pigeons,  in  count- 
less numbers,  will  hover,  and  flutter,  and  flap  among  the 
bur-oaks. 

The  openings  of  Michigan  do  not,  by  any  means,  pre- 
sent an  uniform  appearance.  Beside  the  different  vari- 
eties of  timber,  and  the  gentle  undulation  of  the  surface, 
there  are  frequent  springs  of  water,  forming  into  streams, 
along  which  the  woods,  preserved  from  the  ravages  of 
fire,  grow  up  thick  and  dark,  stretching  out  like  long  arms 
and  elbows  throughout  the  country,  adding  to  the  interest 
and  beauty  of  the  landscapes.  There  are  also  frepuent 


PINE  WOODS   OF  THE   NORTH.  177 

"  cat-holes,"  or  little  circular  basins,  some  of  them  as 
regular  as  a  bowl,  from  a  few  rods  to  two  or  three  acres 
over,  grown  up  to  whortleberry  bushes  and  alders.  And 
sometimes,  sunk  down  below  the  general  level  of  the 
country,  one  will  find  wet  meadows  of  rank  grass,  among 
which  the  cranberry  stretches  out  its  delicate  vine.  It 
is  doubtful  whether  there  is  a  more  beautiful  region  in 
the  United  States  than  that  of  the  openings  of  Michigan, 
which,  commencing  near  Deti'oit,  extend  clear  across  the 
state. 

On  going  toward  the  north,  the  timber  becomes  more 
and  more  plentiful.  Beeches  begin  to  mingle  with  the 
oaks.  And,  in  a  day  or  two,  beeches  and  maples  will 
predominate  over  other  varieties  of  timber.  Huge  white- 
woods  and  basswoods  will  be  seen  towering  above  the 
forest.  The  white-ash,  the  shag-bark,  the  black-cherry, 
will  have  become  abundant.  The  woods  will  seem  to 
have  been  growing  darker  and  denser  every  mile  of  the 
way.  Soon  the  traveler  will  doubt  whether  Omnipotence 
himself  could  have  planted  the  trees  larger,  taller,  and 
thicker  together  than  they  are.  A  broad-horned  ox  woiild 
have  to  tip  his  head  on  one  side,  in  order  to  pass  through' 
between  them.  The  ground  is  slippery  with  decaying 
leaves.  Further  on,  the  timber  gradually  begins  to  les- 
sen, and,  after  a  while,  openings  again  appear  along  the 
high,  abrupt  banks  of  the  Grand  River.  These  northern 
openings,  some  thirty  miles  in  width,  are  not  so  beautiful 
as  the  southern,  but  they  spread  out  fairer  and  more 
invitingly  to  the  settler.  For  there,  little  prairies  abound, 
just  big  enough  for  farms,  and  belted  with  timber. 

Pressing  still  forward,  the  emigrant  will  enter  the  great 

pine  woods  of  the  north.    For  a  while,  however,  before 

reaching   them,  he  will   have   been  wandering  through 

groves  of  oak,  and  along  the  borders  of  natural  meadows, 

8*  l> 


378  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

and  through  clumps  of  beech  and  maple.  Now  and  then 
a  pine  or  two  will  have  been  seen  standing  out  like  sen- 
tinels. But  soon,  as  with  a  single  step,  the  timber  has 
become  all  pine  —  yellow  pine;  moaning  overhead,  dark- 
ening all  the  ground,  shutting  out  the  sun,  shutting  out 
the  wind.  With  outstretched  arms,  the  trees  might  almost 
be  reached  on  either  hand,  while  passing  along.  The 
tall  trunks  support  the  dark-green  canopy  full  fifty  feet 
above  the  earth.  Many  of  the  trunks  from  the  base  of 
the  leafy  top,  half  way  down  to  the  ground,  are  thorny  and 
jagged  with  the  stubs  of  dead  limbs.  But  the  trees  are. 
nevertheless,  sound  and  thrifty. 

The  belt  of  pine  timber,  and  nothing  but  pine,  is  about 
twenty-five  miles  in  width,  stretching  from  Saginaw  Bay 
directly  across  the  peninsula  of  Michigan.  Wherever 
in  all  that  region  there  have  been  windfalls,  the  pine  has 
been  replaced  by  the  thickest  masses  of  oak  and  beech 
saplings  that  ever  was  contemplated  by  man.  A  wolf 
could  hardly  crawl  through  one  of  them  without  taking 
every  hair  off  his  hide.  In  vain  you  poke  the  bushes  aside, 
to  look  in ;  you  can  not  see  a  foot  beyond  your  nose ;  it  is 
all  bushes,  thick  as  a  hatchel,  and  limbs  intertwining. 
On  asking  a  surveyor  of  the  government  lands  how  they 
managed  with  the  windfalls,  he  replied :  "  0  that 's  nothing. 
We  clomb  on  top  and  walked  over,  just  as  easy."  After 
a  while,  to  the  northward,  the  pine  appears  to  be  confined 
to  the  little  ridges,  that  rise  up  like  back-bones  between 
the  streams.  Wherever  the  rivers  make  a  bend,  on  the 
hollowing  side  will  be  found  a  heavy  growth  of  black  ash. 
Now  and  then  a  clump  of  cedars  will  appear,  each  tree 
leaning  away  from  the  rest,  and  some  of  them  twisting 
round  at  least  "  sixteen  times  in  a  foot."  The  level  lands 
have  again  become  covered  with  beech  and  maple,  of  a 
full,  luxuriant  growth,  with  here  and  there  a  giga-ntio 


PINE  WOODS   OF  THE   NORTH.  179 

Norway  pine,  six  feet  through,  without  a  limb,  till  it 
begins  to  stretch  up  half  its  length  above  the  surrounding 
trees.  These  are  the  general  aspects  of  Michigan,  as  seen 
on  a  tour  through  the  center  of  the  peninsula,  from  Cold- 
water,  in  Branch  county,  to  the  straits  of  Michilimackinac. 

The  soil  of  the  lower  peninsula  is  of  great  depth  and 
fertility.  That  which  covers  the  openings  and  the  pine 
lands  is  a  sandy  loam,  easily  worked,  and  yielding  large 
crops  of  wheat,  corn,  and  potatoes.  All  the  varieties  of 
fruits  to  be  found  in  western  New  York  thrive  there  in 
great  vigor  and  productiveness.  The  apple,  the  peach, 
the  pear,  seem  native  to  the  climate.  Garden  vegetables 
attain  a  surprising  growth.  The  plains  abound  in  straw- 
berries. Throughout  all  the  timbered  lowlands  there  are 
thick  clusters  of  wild  currants  and  gooseberries.  The 
whortleberries  grow  large  and  luscious.  The  wild  cran- 
berries furnish  a  convenient  sauce,  and  an  article  of  great 
market  value.  The  soil  of  the  timbered  lands  is  slightly 
heavier  than  that  of  the  openings,  but  it  is  still  sandy 
rather  than  clayey.  Vines  of  all  kinds  are  astonishingly 
thrifty.  A  tomato  plant  will  grow  as  high  as  a  man's  head, 
and  will  yield  bushels  of  fruit.  The  pumpkin  vine  will 
run  over  logs,  stumps,  brush-heaps,  and  cover  half  a  field 
with  great  yellow  pumpkins.  A  single  cantaloupe  vine 
has  been  known  to  yield  twenty  large,  delicious  melons. 

In  all  the  openings,  "the  mast"  is  abundant.  Hogs 
turned  out  to  grass  will  become  fat  on  the  acorns  alone. 
Pasturage  is  every  where  plentiful,  on  the  plains  until 
after  the  frosts  of  October,  and  then  it  is  found  in  the 
timbered  swales.  Many  of  the  wet  meadows  will  yield 
red-top  at  the  rate  of  two  and  three  tons  to  the  acre. 
And  further  north,  among  the  heavy  timber,  there  are 
marshes  covered  with  a  hardy  reed,  or  flag,  which  the 
frost  never  kills  to  the  ground,  but  a  green,  juicy  stub,  six 


180  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

inches  in  length,  will  remain  all  winter,  just  beneath  the 
snow ;  and  great  droves  of  cattle,  turned  out  in  the  shel- 
tering woods,  will  thrive  on  these,  alone,  and  come  out  in 
good  condition  in  the  spring.  • .  - 

The  settlements  of  Michigan  are  mostly  confined  to  the 
openings,  and  to  the  intervening  belt  of  timber.  Popula- 
tion has  not  extended  more  than  thirty  miles  north  of  the 
Grand  River.  Emigration  would  seem  to  have  swept 
straight  across  the  southern  half  of  the  peninsula.  In 
earlier  times,  two  principal  wagon  roads  existed;  the 
old  Territorial  Eoad,  through  Ann  Arbor,  Jackson,  and 
Marshall,  and  the  South  or  State  Road,  through  Ypsi- 
lanti,  Tecumseh,  and  Jonesville  ;  and  the  settlers, 
arriving  at  Detroit  and  at  Toledo,  would  follow  one  or 
the  other  of  these  routes.  Those  who  designed  going  to 
the  Grand  River  country,  had  to  make  the  voyage  of  the 
lakes.  And  now,  the  two  great  thoroughfares  of  the 
peninsula,  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  and  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  Railroad,  are  laid  along  those  same  lines  of 
travel.  Michigan  would  seem  to  have  been  made  a  mere 
roadway  for  the  states  beyond  it.  Population,  therefore, 
has  not  reached  far  above  these  principal  routes ;  for  it 
has  been  easier  to  go  to  Iowa  than  to  the  central  parts  of 
Michigan.  Some  time  or  other,  a  railroad  will  be  built  on 
the  line  from  Michilimackinac  through  Lansing,  the  capital 
of  the  state,  and,  intersecting  the  Central  and  Southern 
roads  at  Jackson  and  at  Jonesville,  will  make  easily 
accessible  the  pine  region  north  of  the  Grand  River. 

There  is  probably  no  state  in  the  Union  which  surpasses 
Michigan  in  its  commercial  advantages.  It  is  admirably 
situated  for  drawing  to  itself  the  interior  trade  of  America. 
The  lower  peninsula  is  inclosed  on  all  sides  but  one,  by 
four  lakes :  Erie,  St.  Clair,  Huron,  and  Michigan.  The 
extent  of  the  coast  line,  thus  furnished,  is  about  seven 


PORTS  AND  HARBORS  OF  MICHIGAN.  181 

hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Unlike  most  other  commercial 
states,  that  are  considered  to  be  favorably  situated  if  they 
have  one  border  only  lying  along  the  sea,  Michigan  is  nearly 
surrounded  by  water,  scarcely  an  acre  of  its  land  is  any- 
where over  seventy  miles  from  a  lake  shore.  Its  ports,  large 
and  commodious,  open  toward  all  the  points  of  the  compass, 
except  the  south.  Its  productions,  therefore,  can  easily  be 
floated  off  westward,  and  northward,  and  eastward ;  and 
from  these  same  directions,  every  species  of  merchandise 
that  may  be  desirable  can  be  imported  into  the  state. 
Michigan  has  more  natural  harbors,  that  will  involve  little 
expense  and  labor  to  render  them  available  in  all  seasons  to 
all  classes  of  shipping,  than  any  other  state  bordering  on 
the  lakes.  An  enumeration  of  the  ports  and  harbors  will 
show  how  grandly  Michigan  is  situated  for  carrying  on  an 
extensive  commerce  with  the  lakes. 

First  in  order,  along  the  great  watery  girdle  around  the 
state,  is  the  city  of  Monroe,  in  the  south-eastern  part,  at 
the  base  of  the  peninsula.  Monroe  is  finely  located  on 
the  Biver  Raisin,  two  and  one-half  miles  above  Lake 
Erie.  It  is  distant  from  Lansing,  the  capital  of  Michigan, 
eighty-seven  miles,  and  from  Detroit,  forty  miles.  The 
country  back  of  Monroe  is  level,  having  a  sandy  and 
fertile  soil,  and  yielding  largely  of  all  the  grains,  fruits, 
and  grasses.  Building  stone  is  found  in  that  vicinity,  of 
an  excellent  quality.  And  the  sulphur  springs  are  begin- 
ning to  attract  attention.  The  river,  above  the  city, 
affords  exhaustless  supplies  of  water-power.  The  harbor, 
at  all  times,  is  accessible  to  vessels  of  the  largest  class. 
Monroe  is  an  important  point  in  the  great  thoroughfare  of 
western  travel  and  transportation.  It  is  the  eastern  ter- 
minus of  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  and  it  has 
daily  lines  of  steamboats,  which  connect  it  with  Buffalo, 
and  all  the  ports  on  Lake  Erie.  The  Toledo,  Norwalk, 


182  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

and  Cleveland  Railroad  has  brought  Monroe  into  com- 
munication, overland,  with  the  Atlantic  cities;  and  its 
railroad  connections  with  the  country  to  the  far  West  are 
interrupted  only  by  the  Mississippi  River. 

But  Detroit  is  the  great  commercial  center  of  the  state, 
although  located  upon  the  extreme  eastern  border.  The 
city  extends  along  the  bank  of  the  river  for  more  than 
three  miles.  The  business  part  of  it  is  about  seven  miles 
below  Lake  St.  Clair,  and  eighteen  miles  above  Lake  Erie. 
It  has  the  finest  harbor  in  all  the  west.  The  French 
word,  D'Etroit,  signifies  strait,  which  is  a  more  appro- 
priate appellation  for  the  connecting  stream  between  the 
upper  and  the  lower  lakes  than  the  word  river,  which 
usually  is  applied  to  it.  That  strait,  of  an  average  depth 
of  thirty -two  feet,  with  an  equable  current  of  two  and  one- 
half  miles  an  hour,  is  half  a  mile  wide  between  the  docks 
at  Detroit  and  the  docks  opposite,  at  Sandwich.  The 
channel  is  nowhere  interrupted  by  rocks,  and  the  stream 
is  so  deep  and  swift  that  it  keeps  itself  clear  of  sand-bars 
and  sawyers.  The  strait  is  closed  but  a  little  while 
during  the  winter,  for  its  powerful  current  will  wear  away 
the  thickest  ice  in  a  short  time;  and  the  floating  ice, 
drifting  from  the  lakes  above,  is  borne  along  with  an 
uniform  movement,  which  does  not  permit  of  the  forma- 
tion of  dams,  like  those  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  Montreal. 
These  peculiarities  of  the  strait  make  Detroit  a  secure 
and  accessible  harbor,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  It  is 
thronged  with  shipping.  Detroit  is  the  eastern  terminus 
of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  as  Sandwich,  immediately 
opposite,  is  the  western  terminus  of  the  Great  Western 
Railway  through  Canada. 

Mount  Clemens  is  situated  on  the  Clinton  River,  which 
empties  into  Lake  St.  Clair.  Algonac,  Newport,  and  St. 
Clair  are  situated  upon  the  St.  Clair  River.  All  of  these 


THE  RIVERS   OF  MICHIGAN.  183 

ports  have  good  harbors.  The  St.  Clair  river  is  forty  miles 
long,  with  a  broad,  deep  current,  of  three  miles  an  hour. 
The  average  depth  of  the  channel  is  fifty  feet.  The  river 
is  half  a  mile  wide.  Five  miles  above  Lake  St.  Clair,  the 
river  divides,  and  flows  through  six  channels  into  the  lake; 
the  more  northerly  one  alone  is  navigable.  Port  Huron, 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  Black  River,  two  miles  south  of 
Lake  Huron,  has  a  good  harbor,  and  possesses  superior 
advantages  for  ship-building.  Saginaw  is  situated  near 
the  head  of  the  bay  of  the  same  name.  The  city  stands 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Saginaw  River,  at  an  elevation 
of  thirty  feet  above  the  water.  The  Saginaw  River  has 
a  depth  of  twenty -five  feet,  and  upon  the  bar.  at  its  mouth, 
eight  feet.  The  bay  is  sixty  miles  long,  and  thirty  miles 
wide,  and  its  shores  are  indented  with  innumerable  coves, 
which  form  some  of  the.  most  convenient  harbors  on  Lake 
Huron.  Further  up  the  lake,  Thunder  Bay  is  a  most 
excellent"  harbor.  The  depth  of  water  is  thirty  feet.  The 
bay  is  sheltered  by  several  islands  at  its  entrance.  A 
considerable  river  of  the  same  name  comes  in  at  the  head, 
and  a  number  of  smaller  streams ;  and  at  the  extreme 
north  is  Michilimackinac.  If  one  were  to  point  out  on 
the  map  of  North  America,  a  site  for  a  great  central  city 
in  the  lake  region,  it  would  be  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  straits  of  Michilimackinac.  A  city  so  located 
would  have  the  control  of  the  mineral  trade,  the  fisheries, 
the  furs,  and  the  lumber  of  the  entire  north.  It  might 
become  the  metropolis  of  a  great  commercial  empire.  It 
would  be  the  Venice  of  the  lakes.  Following  along  down 
Lake  Michigan,  we  come  to  Little  Traverse  Bay,  and 
Grand  Traverse  Bay,  each  magnificent  harbors.  A  rail- 
road constructed  from  the  latter  bay  to  Saginaw  would 
open  all  the  upper  half  of  the  southern  peninsula  of 
Michigan.  Next  in  order,  are  the  mouths  of  the  Manistee, 


184  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

White,  and  Muskegon  Rivers,  "which  are  said  to  have 
convenient  harbors. 

Grand  Haven,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  River,  is  one 
of  the  best  harbors  on  Lake  Michigan.  The  water,  on 
the  bar,  is  never  less  than  twelve  feet  deep ;  in  the  harbor 
it  averages  twenty-five  feet.  The  Grand  River  is  about 
one-fourth  of  a  mile  wide,  and  is  navigable  by  steamboats, 
forty  miles,  to  the  rapids,  at  all  seasons,  and  at  high 
water  to  Ionia  and  Lyons.  It  is  a  noble  river  of  clear 
and  swift  water,  two  hundred  and  seventy  miles  in  length. 
The  principal  branches  are  the  Rogue,  Flat,  Maple,  Look- 
ing-glass, Red  Cedar,  and  Thorn-apple  rivers  —  all  large 
streams,  flowing  through  some  of  the  choicest  lands  in 
the  state,  and  furnishing  an  abundance  of  water-power. 
Kalamazoo  River  is  a  magnificent  stream,  two  hundred 
miles  in  length,  and  navigable  for  vessels  of  forty  tons, 
to  Allegan,  thirty-eight  miles  above  its  mouth.  The 
depth  of  water  on  the  bar  is  eight  feet.  St. "Josephs 
River  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long,  and  winds 
round  through  northern  Indiana.  At  its  mouth  is  a  sand- 
bar with  six  feet  of  water.  The  river  is  a  thousand  feet 
in  width.  At  its  mouth,  the  village  of  St.  Josephs  occu- 
pies a  commanding  site,  at  an  elevation  of  sixty  feet 
above  the  water. 

These  are  the  harbors,  and  these  the  rivers  of  the 
lower  peninsula  of  Michigan.  The  majority  of  them  are, 
as  yet,  appropriated,  almost  exclusively,  to  the  lumber 
trade.  The  northern  branches  of  the  Grand  River;  the 
Muskegon,  White,  and  Manistee  rivers ;  the  Thunder  Bay, 
and  the  Audable  rivers;  the  Saginaw  River,  and  its 
branches ;  the  Cass,  and  Flint,  and  Shiawasse,  and  Titti- 
bawasse,  and  the  Black,  and  the  Clinton  rivers — all  open 
into  a  region  of  the  choicest  timber.  The  pine  lumber  of 


THE   LAKES   OF   MICHIGAN.  185 

Michigan  is  equal  to  any  in  the  world,  and  the  demand 
for  it  has  increased  prodigiously  within  a  few  years. 

The  lakes  around  Michigan  furnish  that  state  with  a 
theater  for  the  grandest  display  of  commercial  enterprise. 
Lake  Erie  is  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles  in  length, 
and  averages  thirty-five  miles  in  width.  Its  mean  depth 
is  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  It  opens  to  Michigan  the 
trade  of  the  East.  Lake  St.  Clair  is  about  ninety  miles 
in  circumference,  and  twenty  feet  deep.  The  passage  at 
the  head  of  that  lake  into  the  St.  Clair  River  is,  for  a 
little  way,  extremely  difficult.  At  a  trifling  expense,  the 
channel  'might  be  kept  open  to  vessels  of  the  largest 
class.  The  general  government,  heretofore,  has  neglected 
to  make  appropriations  for  the  improvement  of  the  channel 
through  the  St.  Clair  Flats,  leaving  millions  of  dollars 
annually  to  be  stuck  in  the  mud,  because,  forsooth,  the 
mud  is  fresh-water  mud,  instead  of  salt.  The  policy  of 
certain  American  statesmen,  respecting  the  improvement 
of  western  rivers,  has  been  childish  in  the  extreme. 
Who  ever  heard,  before,  of  the  constitutional  rights  of  a 
great  commercial  people  being  regulated  by  the  ebbings 
and  flowings  of  the  tides  1  It  is  a  wonder  that  it  has  not 
been  suggested  to  those  astute  minds,  to  put  the  consti- 
tution itself  into  pickle.  Now,  the  St.  Clair  Flats,  (out 
of  Congress,)  lie  between  Algonac  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Thames  River.  They  are  extremely  shoal,  covered  all 
over  with  luxuriant  crops  of  wild  rice,  through  which  the 
channel,  crooked  and  narrow,  rarely  has  a  depth  of  water 
to  exceed  nine  feet.  From  the  principal  passage,  looking 
toward  the  Canadian  coast,  the  whole  expanse,  for  miles, 
is  a  waving  morass  of  rice,  intersected  by  small,  winding 
bayous.  Every  northern  state  has  an  immediate  interest 
in  the  removal  of  the  obstructions  of  the  St.  Clair  River. 
A  commerce  of  the  value  of  more  than  a  hundred  million 


186  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

dollars,  and  a  licensed  tonnage  of  steam  and  sail-craft, 
amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  forty  thousand  tons,  are 
put  in  jeopardy  every  year. 

Lake  Huron  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  in  length, 
and  one  hundred  and  sixty  in  width,  inclusive  of  the 
Georgian  Bay,  a  vast  expanse  of  itself,  almost  divided  from 
the  lake  by  a  continuous  chain  of  islands.  Lake  Huron 
is  said  to  contain  more  than  thirty  thousand  islands,  princi- 
pally near  the  northern  shore.  Its  greatest  depth  is  one 
thousand  feet.  A  railroad  runs  across  through  Canada, 
from  Toronto  to  Collingwood,  at  the  head  of  Nottawasaga 
Bay  on  Georgian  Bay ;  and  another  from  Buffalo  through 
Brantford,  to  be  completed  to  Goderich,  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  lake.  The  principal  harbors  of  Lake  Huron 
are  on  the  western  side,  which  will  give  to  Michigan  the 
largest  share  of  its  commerce. 

Lake  Michigan  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  in 
length,  with  an  average  breadth  of  sixty  miles.  It  has  a 
mean  depth  of  nine  hundred  feet.  Its  surface  is  four  feet 
higher  than  that  of  Lake  Huron,  and  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  On  the  western 
side  is  Green  Bay,  one  hundred  miles  long  and  thirty 
broad,  through  which,  and  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers, 
navigation  can  easily  be  opened  between  the  lakes  and 
the  Mississippi.  The  same  communication  has  been 
effected  by  the  canal  at  Chicago,  connecting  with  the 
Illinois  River. 

Being  so  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  lake  country, 
Michigan  may  participate  very  largely  in  the  commerce 
of  the  whole  interior  of  the  continent.  And  that  state 
possesses  within  itself  the  means  of  supporting  the  most 
extensive  commercial  enterprises.  Its  soil,  throughout,  is 
of  surpassing  fertility.  Only  one-third  of  the  land  is  im- 
proved; yet  the  produce  annually  is,  as  follows:  Wheat, 


THE   PRODUCTS   OF   MICHIGAN.  -187 

five  million  bushels ;  corn,  six  million  bushels ;  oats,  three 
million  bushels ;  and  potatoes,  three  million  bushels.  The 
yield  of  maple-sugar  is  two  and  one-half  million  pounds. 
The  live  stock  within  the  state  is  valued  at  ten  million 
dollars.  The  wool  clipped  annually,  is  about  three  mil- 
lion pounds;  the  butter  made,  seven  and  one-half  million 
pounds ;  cheese,  near  two  million  pounds.  The  value  of 
the  animals  slaughtered  is  about  one  and  one-half  million 
of  dollars.  The  total  amount  of  the  yearly  products  of 
manufactures  is  nearly  eleven  million  dollars.  The 
whole  northern  half  of  the  lower  peninsula,  covered 
with  magnificent  forests,  though  scarcely  yet  broken  into, 
yields  astonishing  quantities  of  lumber.  The  saw-mills 
are  already  cutting  over  three  hundred  and  ten  million 
feet  of  sawed  lumber  annually. 

The  ports  of  Algonac,  Mount  Clemens,  St.  Clair,  Port 
Huron,  and  Saginaw,  on  the  eastern  side,  and  the  Grand 
River,  the  Muskegon,  White,  and  Manistee  rivers,  on  the 
western  side,  are  the  avenues  through  which  the  lumber 
of  Michigan  finds  its  way  to  market.  "While  the  ports  at 
Grand  Haven,  Allegan,  and  St.  Josephs,  and  at  Detroit 
and  Monroe,  are  crowded  with  grain  and  other  agricul- 
tural productions. 

The  whole  amount  of  property  owned  in  the  state  is 
valued  at  sixty  million  dollars.  Michigan  is  entitled  to 
four  representatives  in  Congress.  The  number  of  public 
schools  is  about  three  thousand  five  hundred.  A  State 
Normal  School  has  been  established  at  Ypsilanti,  with  an 
ample  endowment  of  school  lands.  The  principal  colle- 
giate institution  is  the  University  at  Ann  Arbor.  The 
total  number  of  libraries  is  three  hundred  and  eighty-one, 
containing  about  seventy  thousand  volumes.  About  sev- 
enty periodicals  are  published  in  the  State,  of  which 
thirty  are  of  a  literary,  scientific,  or  religious  character. 


188*  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Michigan  contains  about  four  hundred  churches,  accom- 
modating nearly  an  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
persons.  Michigan  may  be  far  behind  Ohio ;  but  it 
should  be  remembered  that  Ohio  has  had  more  than 
thirty  years  the  start. 

Michigan  presents  many  attractions  to  the  settler; 
and  among  those,  the  beautiful  little  lakes,  scattered 
profusely  over  its  surface,  through  the  openings  and  the 
timbered  lands  alike,  must  not  be  forgotten.  These 
cover  from  one  acre  to  five  hundred  acres,  clear  and  deep 
waters,  alive  with  fish.  Some  of  the  lakes  have  neither 
inlet  nor  outlet,  being  fed  with  springs  just  equal  to  the 
evaporation.  But  most  of  them  send  forth  copious 
streams.  There  are  places,  among  the  openings,  where, 
standing  on  a  hill,  one  may  see  half  a  dozen  of  these 
lakelets,  nestling  together.  Another  advantage  in  set- 
tling in  Michigan  is,  that  it  is  about  half-way  between 
the  East  and  the  West.  One  does  not  have  to  go  to  the 
other  side  of  creation  to  get  there;  and  the  inhabitants 
may  well  deem  themselves  located  just  about  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  world.  A  strong  inducement,  also,  is  found  in 
the  fact,  that  the  government  lands  in  Michigan  have 
been  in  market,  most  of  them,  over  ten  years,  and  have 
fallen  in  prices  to  one  dollar  an  acre.  The  land-offices 
are  situated  at  Detroit,  Ionia,  and  Michilimackinac. 

The  exemption  laws  of  Michigan  are  extremely  liberal 
toward  her  citizens.  A  correct  view  of  household  prop- 
erty would  seem  to  have  been  taken  by  the  legislature ; 
that  the  property  of  the  husband  necessary  to  the  suste- 
nance of  the  family  belongs  to  the  family,  and  should  not 
be  alienated  by  mortgage,  or  lien,  without  the  consent  of 
the  wife. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  exemption  of  a  seat  in  a 
church,  a  cemetery,  arms,  and  accouterments,  and  house- 


THE    EXEMPTION    LAWS.  189 

hold  utensils,  and  stores,  the  exemption  includes  the 
following  property,  viz.:  All  wearing  apparel  of  every 
person  or  family;  school  books  and  library,  to  the  value 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars;  household  goods  and 
furniture,  to  the  same  amount ;  ten  sheep,  two  cows,  five 
swine,  and  feed  for  them ;  and  provisions  and  fuel  for  the 
family  for  six  months;  tools,  implements,  materials, 
stocks,  apparatus,  team,  vehicle,  horses,  harness,  or  other 
things,  to  carry  on  a  trade,  occupation,  or  business,  not 
exceeding  in  value  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  And 
all  chattel  mortgages,  bills  of  sale,  or  other  liens  on  such 
property,  are  declared  void,  unless  signed  by  the  wife. 
In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  forty  acres  of  land,  the 
dwelling-house  thereon,  and  the  appurtenances,  are  also 
exempt.  So,  where  a  man  shall  occupy  a  house  on  land 
not  his  own,  the  house  is  exempt. 


YANKEE   EMIGRANTS.  191 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

INDIANA. 

Yankee  emigrants  —  Emigration  checked  by  the  war  of  1812  — 
Admission  as  a  state  —  Rapid  settlement  of  the  state  —  Where  the 
settlers  came  from  —  Soil  of  the  state —  The  Ohio  and  Whitewater 
valleys  —  The  White  River  Valley  —  The  Wabash  Valley  —  River 
navigation  —  Canals  —  Railroads  —  Agricultural  products  — Chari- 
table institutions,  churches,  colleges,  and  schools. 

UPON  the  organization  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory  into  a  separate  territorial  govern- 
ment, the  remaining  portion  of  it,  extending  westward  to 
the  Mississippi,  and  northward  to  the  lakes,  became  known 
as  the  Indiana  Territory.  In  1804,  it  entered  upon  the 
first  grade  of  territorial  government,  as  prescribed  by 
the  ordinances  of  1787.  William  Henry  Harrison  was 
appointed  governor.  Vincennes  was  selected  as  the  capital. 
The  north-western  tribes  had  continued  to  be  peaceable, 
since  the  conquest  of  that  region  by  Colonel  Clark.  The 
French  settlements  on  the  Wabash  soon  began  to  receive 
additions  of  Yankee  emigrants.  The  rambling  disposition 
of  the  people,  their  curiosity  to  see  and  explore  new  and 
beautiful  regions,  led  them  to  plunge  into  the  wilderness, 
and  seek  out  those  remote  and  lonely  settlements.  Road- 
traces,  or  lines  of  blazed  trees,  marked  out  the  routes  to  be 
pursued  by  the  emigrants.  Previous  to  1805,  the  Indian 
title  to  nearly  all  the  southern  half  of  Indiana  had  been 
extinguished,  removing  the  chief  obstacle  to  the  peaceful 
settlement  of  the  country. 

Three  years  later,  the  population  having  increased  to 
five  thousand  free  white  males,  Congress,  with  a  view  to 
a  future  state  government,  assigned  the  limits  of  Indiana, 


192  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

and  authorized  the  election  of  a  territorial  legislature. 
The  prosperity  of  Indiana  was  considerably  checked  by 
the  last  war  with  Great  Britain.  Indian  hostilities  were 
at  once  resumed,  and  many  of  the  advanced  settlements 
had  to  be  abandoned.  It  was  not  until  the  summer  of 
1815  that  the  population  of  Indiana  began  rapidly  to 
increase.  For  the  various  campaigns  of  that  war,  and 
the  mounted  expeditions  that  had  traversed  the  territory, 
were  virtual  explorations  of  that  fertile  and  beautiful 
country  by  thousands  of  young,  hardy,  and  enterprising 
pioneers,  who,  upon  the  return  of  peace,  moved  thither 
with  their  families,  and  formed  settlements  upon  all  the 
water-courses.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  came  into  the 
territory  from  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  So  great  was  the  rush 
of  emigration  that,  early  the  next  season,  the  population 
had  become  sufficiently  large  to  entitle  them  to  a  state 
government.  In  April,  1816,  Indiana  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  as  a  free  and  independent  state. 

None  of  the  western  states  have  become  settled  with 
greater  rapidity  than  Indiana.  Four  years  after  the 
adoption  of  the  state  constitution,  the  population  numbered 
one  hundred  and  forty-eight  thousand  souls ;  five  years 
afterward,  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand;  in  1830, 
three  hundred  and  forty-two  thousand ;  and  in  1835,  six 
hundred  thousand.  The  present  population  is  over  one 
million.  Of  that  number,  New  York  has  furnished  twenty- 
four  thousand ;  Pennsylvania,  forty-four  thousand ;  Mary- 
land, ten  thousand ;  Virginia,  forty-five  thousand ;  Ken- 
tucky, sixty -nine  thousand ;  and  Ohio,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand.  In  1850,  the  improved  farm  lands  in 
the  state  amounted  to  five  million  acres;  the  unim- 
proved, over  seven  million  acres. 

The  remarkable  fertility  of  the  soil  of  Indiana  arises 
mainly  from  its  geological  position.  Situated  nearly 


SOIL   OF  THE    STATE.         .  193 

in  the  center  of  the  great  American  valley,  far  distant 
from  the  primitive  ranges  of  mountains,  the  surface-earth 
is  accordingly  formed  from  the  destruction  of  a  vast 
variety  of  rocks,  both  crystalline  and  sedimentary,  which 
have  been  minutely  divided,  and  intimately  blended,  by 
the  action  of  air  and  water.  That  soil  is  known  to  be  the 
most  productive  which  has  been  formed  from  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  greatest  variety  of  rocks,  by  which  is  produced 
the  due  mixture  of  gravel,  sand,  clay,  and  limestone, 
necessary  for  the  nutrition  of  plants.  Two-thirds  of  the 
state  of  Indiana  is  level  land,  slightly  undulating,  and  the 
water-shed,  or  divide,  within  its  borders,  is  scarcely  per- 
ceptible. But  the  country  has  continuous  slopes  of  vast 
extent,  and  the  highest  elevation  of  the  surface  is  six 
hundred  feet  above  the  Ohio  River  at  the  falls.  Along 
the  rivers  are  ranges  of  low  hills,  which  extend  back  in 
spurs  a  little  way  into  the  country.  Those  on  the  banks 
of  the  streams,  where  the  water-courses  have  torn  through 
them,  present  much  imposing  scenery.  Back  of  the  hills 
is  the  table-land  of  the  interior  country ;  and  that  lies 
gently  rolling,  as  if  formed  into  billows.  Occasionally 
there  are  small  conical  elevations,  from  one  hundred  feet 
to  two  hundred  feet  in  hight.  Inclosed  within  the 
river  hills  are  the  rich  bottom-lands,  which,  originally, 
were  covered  with  mighty  forests.  The  predominant  tim- 
ber of  the  state  is  oak  and  beech.  Next  in  order  are  the 
sugar-maple,  hickory,  ash,  poplar,  elm,  cherry,  hackberry, 
whitewood,  coffee-tree,  and  honey-locust.  Chestnut  is 
found  only  on  the  east  fork  of  the  White  River. 

Indiana  has  four  distinct  natural  divisions.  First,  the 
Ohio  and  Whitewater  valleys,  comprising  about  five 
thousand  square  miles.  It  is  a  limestone  region,  heavily 
timbered,  and  the  soil  of  great  depth  and  fertility.  The 

hills  are  abrupt,  and  broken  through  by  numerous  streams, 
9  M 


194  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

that  in  dry  weather  show  only  the  marks  where  torrents 
have  disappeared  almost  as  soon  as  the  storms  which  had 
occasioned  them.  About  two-thirds  of  this  division  con- 
sists of  choice  fanning  lands.  The  residue  is  too  much 
broken  to  be  cultivated  profitably.  The  poorest  land  is 
in  the  flats  at  the  heads  of  the  streams,  which  would 
seem  to  have  washed  the  substance  of  the  soil  upon  the 
bottoms  below. 

Second,  the  White  River  Valley,  which  extends  back, 
through  the  center  of  the  state,  from  the  Wabash  to  the 
boundary  of  Ohio,  and  contains  about  nine  thousand 
square  miles.  The  surface  is  uniformly  level,  originally 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  forest  —  except  in  the 
western  part,  where  there  are  some  small  prairies  and 
low,  rugged  hills.  This  valley  is  wholly  destitute  of  rock. 
The  soil  is  the  best  in  the  state,  with  but  Very  little  that 
is  not  fit  for  cultivation.  It  is  supplied  with  never-failing 
streams,  and  an  abundance  of  water-power. 

Third,  the  Wabash  Valley,  which  constitutes  the  larg- 
est division,  as  it  contains  upward  of  twelve  thousand 
square  miles.  It  interlocks  with  the  White  River  Val- 
ley, which  it  resembles,  in  the  eastern  part.  The  Wa- 
bash Valley  is  more  broken,  but  not  less  fertile.  The 
middle  of  this  region  is  supplied  with  running  water; 
but  the  upper  and  the  lower  portions  are  nearly  destitute 
of  it.  From  the  river-hills  along  the  Ohio,  the  land  in- 
clines to  the  Wabash;  and  it  is  a  curiosity  of  the 
Indiana  river  system,  that  the  streams  rising  near  the 
former  river  flow  oif  to  a  great  distance,  and  form 
junctions  with  the  latter. 

Fourth,  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  which  is 
watered  by  the  St.  Joseph's  and  its  tributaries,  and  the 
Kankakee,  a  branch  of  the  Illinois.  It  resembles  very 
much  the  Wabash  country,  only  that  it  is  rather  more 


KIVER  NAVIGATION.  195 

swampy,  and,  near  the  lake,  quite  sandy.  The  extreme 
northern  counties  have  extensive  ranges  of  sand-hills, 
covered  only  with  shriveled  pines  and  bur-oaks.  This 
region,  however,  constitutes  only  a  small  portion  of  the 
state. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Ohio,  the  Wabash,  and 
the  White.  The  first  named  forms  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  state,  for  a  distance,  following  the  windings  of  the 
river,  of  three  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  The  White- 
water joins  the  Miami  six  miles  above  its  entrance  into 
the  Ohio.  The  Wabash,  entering  Indiana  from  the  east, 
flows  clear  across  it,  and  thence,  turning  south,  forms  the 
western  boundary.  It  is  six  hundred  miles  in  length,  and 
for  more  than  half  that  distance  it  is  navigable.  The 
confluence  of  the  White  River  with  the  Wabash  is  one 
hundred  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  latter  river.  The 
Kankakee  is  lined  with  extensive  marshes.  Deep  and 
Calumet  rivers  lie  just  south  of  Lake  Michigan,  sepa- 
rated from  it,  in  some  places,  only  by  sand-banks. 

The  river  navigation  of  Indiana  is  rendered  difficult 
by  frequent  shallows.  The  boats  are  of  light  draft,  flat- 
bottomed  ;  and  the  paddle-wheel  —  for  they  have  but  one  — 
is  placed  across  the  stern,  and  appears  like  a  huge  under- 
shot wheel,  revolving  behind.  It  has  been  said  of  the 
Indiana  boats,  that,  in  making  headway  down  stream, 
they  contrive  to  keep  up  with  the  current.  They  draw 
about  as  much  water  as  a  sap-trough.  When  they  get 
stuck  in  the  sand,  all  hands  will  jump  out  and  push  them 
off.  It  is  related  of  an  exasperated  Hoosier,  who  had 
refused  to  pay  his  fare  till  there  should  be  some  prospect 
of  his  getting  somewhere  or  other,  that,  being  ordered 
ashore  from  the  middle  of  the  river,  he  stepped  into  the 
water,  seized  the  craft  by  the  bows,  and  gave  it  a  shove 
half  a  mile  down  stream,  stern  foremost ;  and  when  it 


196  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

had  worked  back  up  again  to  where  he  was  standing,  he 
placed  his  foot  against  it,  and  held  it,  fluttering  and  puff- 
ing, without  letting  it  make  any  headway.  The  engineer 
put  on  the  steam,  and  the  captain  "cussed;"  but  it  was 
no  use.  The  Hoosier  was  too  much  for  it.  A  compro- 
mise had  to  be  effected.  The  Hoosier  was  hired  for  the 
rest  of  the  voyage  to  help  the  engine. 

Indiana  is  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles  in  ex- 
treme length,  from  north  to  south,  and  one  hundred  and 
sixty-miles  in  width,  with  an  area  of  about  thirty-four 
thousand  square  miles.  It  has  a  magnificent  system  of 
internal  improvements.  The  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  — 
from  Toledo,  on  Lake  Erie,  to  Evansville,  on  the  Ohio 
River  —  is  four  hundred  and  sixty-seven  miles  in  length, 
more  than  three-fourths  of  which  are  in  Indiana.  In- 
dianapolis, the  capital,  is  situated  in  the  center  of  the 
state;  and  from  that  point  the  railroad  lines  radiate  in 
every  direction.  One  line  stretches  up  north-east,  through 
Bellefontaine  to  Cleveland,  and  connects  with  the  Lake 
Shore  road;  another  runs  south  to  Louisville;  another, 
west  to  Terra  Haute,  on  the  Wabash  River;  another, 
north  through  Lafayette  to  Michigan  City,  connecting 
with  the  Michigan  Southern  road ;  and  another,  east  to 
Dayton,  connecting  with  the  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  and 
Columbus  road. 

Indiana  produced  in  1850,  of  wheat,  over  six  million 
bushels;  corn,  fifty-three  million  bushels;  and  oats,  six 
million  bushels.  The  corn  crop  had  nearly  doubled  since 
1840.  The  products  of  its  manufactures  is  of  the  annual 
value  of  twenty  million  dollars.  The  total  value  of  its 
live  stock  is  about  twenty-two  million  dollars.  It  pro- 
duces annually  about  thirteen  million  pounds  of  butter; 
and  the  value  of  the  animals  slaughtered  yearly  is  about 
seven  million  dollars. 


CHARITABLE    INSTITUTIONS,  ETC.  197 

Colored  people  are  not  permitted  to  come  into,  or  set- 
tle in  the  state.  All  contracts  made  with  them  are 
declared  void.  And  all  persons  employing  them  are  lia- 
ble to  be  fined  from  ten  dollars  to  five  hundred  dollars. 
Notwithstanding  its  illiberality  toward  that  unfortunate 
class  of  people,  the  state  has  adopted  an  humane  policy 
in  other  respects.  It  has  built  an  asylum  for  the  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  an  institution  for  the  blind,  and  a  hospi- 
tal for  the  insane,  at  Indianapolis.  There  are  in  the 
state  about  two  thousand  churches,  accommodating  seven 
hundred  thousand  persons.  The  common  schools  and 
colleges  are  endowed  more  liberally  than  those  of  any 
other  new  state.  The  constitution  provides  that  "the 
common  school  fund  shall  consist  of  the  congressional 
township  fund,  and  the  lands  belonging  thereto;  of  the 
surplus  revenue,  saline,  and  bank-stock  funds ;  the  fund 
derived  from  the  sale  of  county  seminaries,  and  money 
and  property  heretofore  held  for  such  seminaries;  all  fines, 
forfeitures,  and  escheats,  and  lands  not  otherwise  specially 
granted,  including  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  the 
swamp-lands  granted  to  the  state  by  the  Act  of  Congress, 
September  twenty-eighth,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  fifty.  The  principal  of  the  fund  may  be  increased, 
but  shall  never  be  diminished ;  and  its  income  shall  be 
devoted  solely  to  the  support  of  common  schools." 


EXTINGUISHMENT   OF  INDIAN  TITLES.  199 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ILLINOIS. 

Extinguishment  of  the  Indian  titles  —  Admission  as  a  state  —  Great 
earthquake  of  1811  —  Effect  on  the  Mississippi  —  Effect  on  the  In- 
dians —  First  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  —  Keel-boat  naviga- 
tion —  Keel-boatmen  —  Nature  of  the  population  —  Length  and 
breadth  of  the  state —  Number  of  counties —  Lands  improved  and 
unimproved  —  Number  of  farms — Value  of  farming  implements  — 
Annual  products  —  The  soil  —  The  "American  Bottom" — Prairie 
lands — Grand  Prairie — Coal  regions — Yankee  fences  in  Illinois  — 
Mode  of  forming  settlements  on  the  prairie  —  Plowing  the  prai- 
rie—  The  timber  region  —  Minerals  —  Lead  region  —  Chicago  — 
Rivers,  canals,  and  railroads  — Varieties  of  climate  —  The  winter  of 
1855-56  —  Seasons  of  the  greatest  cold — Schools,  colleges,  and 
libraries  —  Exemption  laws. 

WHEN,  in  1809,  Congress,  by  the  Act  of  February 
3d,  had  restricted  the  limits  of  Indiana,  and  had  author- 
ized a  territorial  legislature,  the  region  to  the  westward 
of  the  Wabash  was  erected  into  a  territorial  government 
of  the  first  grade,  and  designated  as  the  Illinois  Territory. 
Ninian  Edwards  was  appointed  governor.  Congress  had 
already  taken  measures  for  the  extinguishment  of  the  In- 
dian title.  By  the  treaty  of  Fort  Wayne,  which  was  rat- 
ified at  Vincennes,  on  the  seventh  day  of  August,  1803, 
by  the  Eel  River  Indians,  the  Wyandots,  the  Kaskaskias, 
and  the  Kickapoos,  over  three  hundred  and  thirty-six 
thousand  acres  had  been  ceded  to  the  United  States.  By 
a  subsequent  treaty,  made  only  six  days  later,  with  the 
Kaskaskias  alone,  that  tribe  had  ceded  eight  and  one-half 
million  acres.  On  the  third  day  of  November,  1804, 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  by  treaty,  had  relinquished  fourteen 


200  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

million  acres,  principally  situated  in  Illinois.  At  Vin- 
cennes,  December  30th,  1805,  the  Piankeshas  had 
ceded  their  claim  to  about  three  million  acres.  So  that, 
with  the  spring  following,  one-third  part  of  Illinois  was 
open  for  settlement. 

The  balance  of  the  territory  still  remained  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Indians,  and  they  continued  lingering 
around  the  old  familiar  hunting-grounds  which  they  had 
ceded  away,  although  they  had  received  the  stipulated 
price,  and  had  consented  to  retire.  For  several  years, 
the  settlements  of  Illinois  increased  in  number  but  very 
slowly.  The  country  was  so  remote,  so  much  exposed  to 
Indian  depredations,  and  so  destitute  of  the  comforts  of 
civilized  life,  that  it  did  not  attract  many  emigrants, 
while  other  lands,  equally  good  and  far  more  easily  ac- 
cessible, were  to  be  had.  But,  notwithstanding  the  dis- 
tance and  the  danger,  the  inhabitants  began  to  come  in 
slowly  around  the  older  villages  of  the  French,  and  along 
the  west  bank  of  the  Wabash,  and  upon  the  lower  tribu- 
taries of  the  Illinois,  and  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
until  about  the  close  of  1817,  when  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  population  had  become  equal  to  the  population 
of  Ohio  at  the  time  of  its  admission  into  the  Union.  The 
territorial  legislature,  at  the  next  session,  made  applica- 
tion to  Congress  for  authority  to  establish  a  state  govern- 
ment. A  constitution,  adopted  in  August,  1818,  had  been 
approved  in  December  following,  and  Illinois  was  admit- 
ted within  about  two  years  after  the  admission  of  Indiana. 

The  census  of  1820  gave  the  entire  population  at  the 
number  of  fifty-five  thousand  two  hundred  and  ten  souls. 
During  the  five  years  next  succeeding,  the  increase  was 
about  seventeen  thousand.  Many  persons  had  been  de- 
terred from  going  to  Illinois  by  the  erroneous  supposition 
that  the  country  was  subject  to  volcanic  action.  This 


GREAT  EARTHQUAKE.  201 

had  originated  from  the  great  earthquake  of  1811,  by  which 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  greatly  shaken,  the 
shocks  having  continued  for  nearly  three  months.  The 
country  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River  would 
seem  to  have  been  near  the  center  of  the  agitation.  For 
miles,  the  land  had  been  seamed  with  yawning  chasms 
and  deep  holes,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  visible. 
The  bluff  on  which  New  Madrid  had  been  built  had  sunk 
to  the  level  of  the  river,  and  had  become,  soon  afterward, 
totally  submerged.  The  commotion  in  the  Mississippi 
had  been  very  great :  the  banks  had  caved  in,  islands  had 
dissolved,  and  the  channel  had  become  changed. 

At  every  shock,  the  surface  of  the  river  had  risen  and 
fallen  like  the  waves  of  the  sea.  An  eye-witness,  who 
was  coming  down  on  a  flat-boat,  says :  "After  escaping 
many  dangers,  my  boat  suddenly  swung  round  in  the  con- 
flicting currents,  and  rapidly  shot  up  the  river.  Looking 
ahead,  I  beheld  the  mighty  Mississippi  cut  in  twain,  and 
pouring  down  a  vast  opening  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 
A  moment  more  and  the  chasm  filled;  but  the  strong 
sides  of  the  flat-boat  were  crumbled  to  pieces  in  the  con- 
vulsive efforts  of  the  flood  to  obtain  its  wonted  level." 
The  Indians  had  been  utterly  bewildered  by  the  earth- 
quake, and  could  account  for  the  physical  tumult  only  up- 
on the  supposition  that  things  generally  had  been  getting 
drunk.  It  is  said  of  one  of  them,  who  had  given  himself  up 
for  lost,  that,  upon  being  questioned  as  to  what  the  matter 
was,  he  had  replied,  while  at  the  same  time  pointing  fear- 
fully to  the  heavens,  "Great  Spirit  —  whisky  too  much  !" 

It  was  not  until  after  the  commencement  of  steam 
navigation  that  Illinois  received  its  great  accessions  of 
population.  The  first  steamboat  that  ever  plowed  the 
Mississippi  was  built  at  Pittsburg  in  1812,  and  made  the 
voyage  to  New  Orleans  the  next  season.  The  Enterprise, 
9* 


202  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

in  December,  1814,  was  the  first  to  make  the  entire  trip 
up  the  river,  from  Xew  Orleans  to  Pittsburg.  That  is 
said  to  have  been  considered  a  great  triumph,  "for  it  was 
doubted  whether  this  new  power  could  displace  the  strong 
arms  of  the  keel-boatmen  in  stemming  the  powerful  tide." 
Several  years  more  had  elapsed  before  steam  vessels  were 
introduced  upon  the  lakes.  The  first  that  was  built  upon 
Lake  Erie  was  in  1818;  and  from  that  time  until  1825, 
when  the  Erie  Canal  had  become  completed,  the  shipping 
upon  the  lakes  was  principally  employed  in  carrying  west- 
ward supplies  and  trinkets  for  the  Indian  trade,  and 
returning  with  cargoes  of  furs  and  peltries.  The  influence 
of  the  canal  was  immediately  felt  throughout  the  entire 
West,  in  facilitating  emigration ;  and  Illinois  began  rapidly 
to  fill  up  with  an  enterprising  population. 

Previous  to  the  era  of  steam  navigation  upon  the  west- 
ern waters,  the  transportation  of  emigrants,  and  merchan- 
dise, and  produce,  was  effected  by  means  of  keel-boats,  that 
would  drift  down  well  enough  with  the  current,  but  had 
to  be  forced  up  stream  with  setting-poles.  "  The  keel- 
boat  was  long  and  narrow,  sharp  at  the  bow  and  stern, 
and  of  light  draft.  From  fifteen  to  twenty  hands  were 
required  to  propel  it  along.  The  crew,  divided  equally  on 
each  side,  took  their  places  upon  the  running  boards, 
extending  along  the  whole  length  of  the  craft ;  and  each 
man,  setting  one  end  of  a  long  pole  in  the  bottom  of  the 
river,  brought  the  other  to  the  shoulder,  and  bending  down 
upon  it,  his  face  nearly  to  the  plank,  exerted  all  his  force 
against  the  boat,  treading  it  from  under  him."  While 
those  on  one  side  were  thus  passing  down  in  line  to  the 
stern,  those  on  the  other,  having  faced  about,  were  pass- 
ing up  toward  the  bow,  drawing  their  poles  floating  on 
the  water.  One  man  always  stood  leisurely  steering, 
astraddle  of  the  oar ;  and  generally,  some  one  of  the  men 


THE   KEEL-BOATMEN.  203 

might  have  been  seen  on  the  deck,  sawing  away  upon  a 
fiddle,  with  as  much  energy  as  if  he  were  scalping  an 
Indian.  In  this  way,  they  would  walk  up  the  whole 
length  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  keel-boatmen  kept  their  rifles  constantly  within 
reach.  They  were  the  most  athletic,  restless,  and 
reckless  set  of  men  the  country  ever  produced.  Con- 
stantly exposed,  they  despised  danger,  and  were  ready  to 
drop  their  poles  and  have  a  fight,  just  for  the  fun  of  the 
thing.  Going  shirtless,  wearing  nothing  but  trowsers  and 
hats,  they  were  tanned  and  swarthy  from  the  head  to  the 
waist.  They  seemed  to  live  and  thrive  on  grog,  which 
they  took  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  themselves — first  a  cup 
of  whisky,  and  then  a  cup  of  river  water,  mixing  it  in 
the  stomach.  Whoever  among  them  could  boast  that  he 
had  never  been  whipped,  was  bound  to  fight  any  one  that 
might  dare  to  dispute  his  superiority.  The  keel-boatmen 
were  great  sticklers  for  "fair  play,"  and  would  permit  of 
no  interference  with  either  of  the  combatants.  Their 
arrival  in  port  was  a  general  jubilee,  where  hundreds 
often  met  together  for  the  noisiest  and  most  outlandish 
diversions.  In  their  habits,  the  keel-boatmen  were  law- 
less in  the  extreme,  and  would  set  the  civil  authorities  at 
defiance  for  days  together.  Had  their  numbers  increased 
with  the  population  of  the  West,  they  would  have  endan- 
gered the  peace  of  the  country ;  but  they  went  out  with 
the  commencement  of  steam  navigation,  and  have  grad- 
ually disappeared. 

Now  and  then  a  "  specimen  "  of  the  by-gone  race  of 
river  boatmen,  who  have  mostly  settled  down  to  farming, 
will  turn  up  on  the  western  steamboats ;  and  on  such  occa- 
sions their  propensity  to  "rough  fun"  will  break  out 
afresh.  Some  years  since,  one  of  them  took  passage 
down  for  New  Orleans,  and  for  several  days  he  seemed 


204  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

quite  desponding  for  want  of  excitement.  At  last  the 
boat  put  into  Napoleon,  in  the  state  of  Arkansas,  for 
supplies.  Just  at  the  moment  there  was  a  general  fight, 
extending  all  along  in  front  of  the  town,  which,  at  that 
time,  consisted  of  a  single  grocery.  The  unhappy  passen- 
ger, fidgeting  about,  jerking  his  feet  up  and  down  as  if 
they  were  touching  upon  hot  bricks,  inquired  of  a  spec- 
tator: " Stranger, is  this  'ere  a  free  fight?"  The  reply 
was  prompt :  "  Wall,  it  ar'.  If  you  want  to  go  in,  you 
need  n't  stand  on  ceremony."  The  passenger  went  in,  and 
soon  after  came  out  again,  appearing  to  be  reasonably 
satisfied.  Groping  his  way  on  board,  his  hair  half  torn 
out,  his  coat  in  tatters,  one  eye  closed  up,  and  several  of 
his  teeth  knocked  into  his  throat,  he  sat  down  on  a  hen- 
coop, and  soliloquized :  "  So  this  is  Na-po-le-on,  is  it  ?  It's 
jeest  the  most  refreshing  place  I  've  seen  in  many  a  day." 
After  1825,  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  Illinois  in- 
creased with  great  rapidity.  The  fame  of  its  prairies  had 
reached  the  eastern  states,  and  the  Erie  Canal  and  the 
steamboats  on  the  lakes  afforded  a  continuous  chain  of 
water  communication  to  its  distant  borders.  The  ease 
and  speed  of  the  new  modes  of  conveyance  and  transport- 
ation seemed  to  have  shortened  the  journey  by  more  than 
one-half.  The  states  which  bordered  upon  Illinois  to  the 
east  and  south  sent  forth  constant  streams  of  enterprising 
families,  that  were  seeking,  among  its  choice  lands  and 
rich  mines,  to  secure  a  competence  to  themselves  and  to 
their  children.  Cities  began  to  spring  up,  like  Jonah's 
gourd,  almost  in  a  night.  The  edges  of  its  prairies  were 
beginning  to  be  dotted  with  villages.  And  fields  of  luxu- 
riant grain  had  taken  the  place  of  the  tall,  rank  grass. 
The  population,  in  1830,  numbered  over  one  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  thousand ;  in  1840,  four  hundred  and  seventy 
six  thousand ;  and  in  1850,  eight  hundred  and  fifty-one 


NATURE  OF  THE  POPULATION.        205 

thousand.  During  these  last  two  periods,  the  decennial 
increase  had  been  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 

Of  the  whole  number  of  people,  in  1850,  about  three 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  had  been  born  within  the 
state.  Nearly  one  hundred  and  eleven  thousand  were  of 
foreign  birth.  Of  the  rest,  twenty-six  thousand  had  come 
from  New  England ;  sixty-seven  thousand  from  New  York ; 
seven  thousand  from  New  Jersey ;  thirty -eight  thousand 
from  Pennsylvania ;  seven  thousand  each  from  Maryland 
and  Missouri ;  from  Virginia,  twenty -four  thousand ;  North 
Carolina,  thirteen  thousand  ;  Georgia  and  Alabama,  each 
one  thousand;  Tennessee,  thirty-two  thousand ;  Kentucky, 
fifty  thousand  ;  Ohio,  sixty-four  thousand  ;  and  Indiana, 
thirty-one  thousand.  Of  the  foreign  population,  eighteen 
thousand  were  from  England ;  twenty-eight  thousand  from 
Ireland  ;  thirty-eight  thousand  from  Germany ;  and  eleven 
thousand  from  British  America.  Illinois  is  entitled  to 
nine  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States. 

The  extreme  length  of  the  state,  on  the  meridian  of 
Cairo  city,  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight  miles,  and 
its  greatest  breadth  is  two  hundred  and  twelve  miles; 
but  the  average  length  and  breadth  is  considerably  less 
than  that.  The  state  comprises  an  area  of  fifty -five  thou- 
sand four  hundred  and  five  square  miles.  It  is  divided 
into  ninety -nine  counties.  Illinois  contains  about  five  and 
one-half  million  acres  of  improved  farm  lands,  and  six  and 
one-half  million  acres  unimproved.  The  number  of  farms 
under  cultivation  is  nearly  one  hundred  thousand ;  and 
the  value  of  the  farming  implements  and  machinery  has 
been  estimated  as  high  as  seven  million  dollars.  The 
annual  production  of  wheat  and  oats  is,  for  each,  ten  mil- 
lion bushels  ;  Indian  corn,  about  sixty  million  bushels ; 
and  potatoes,  three  million  bushels. 


206  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Generally,  it  may  be  said  of  Illinois,  that  it  occupies 
the  lower  part  of  the  great  plain,  inclining  to  the  south- 
west, of  which  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan  are  the  high- 
est part.  Down  this  plain  flow  the  "VVabash,  Kaskaskia, 
and  Illinois  rivers.  The  lowest  section,  in  the  extreme 
southern  angle  of  the  state,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River, 
is  about  three  hundred  and  forty  feet  above  tide-water  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  the  mean  hight  of  the  arable 
lands  above  tide-water  may  be  stated  at  six  hundred  feet. 

It  has  been  supposed  that,  at  some  former  period,  an 
obstruction  existed  in  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi,  at 
the  Grand  Tower,  producing  a  stagnation  in  the  current, 
at  an  elevation  of  about  one  hundred  feet,  above  the  pres- 
ent ordinary  water-mark.  At  that  place,  the  hills,  which, 
for  several  hundred  miles  above,  are  separated  by  a  valley 
of  twenty-five  miles  in  width,  approach  near  each  other, 
and  line  both  banks  with  precipitous  shores.  The  walls 
of  rock  that  frown  upon  the  river  have,  upon  their  abrupt 
fronts,  a  series  of  water  lines,  uniformly  presenting  their 
greatest  depression  toward  the  sources  of  the  river.  At 
Grand  Tower,  those  rocks  of  dark-colored  limestone,  which 
pervade  a  very  considerable  portion  of  the  country,  project 
toward  each  other,  and  seem  to  indicate  that,  at  a  remote 
period,  they  must  have  been  disunited  by  some  convulsion 
of  nature,  which  opened  for  the  Mississippi  its  present 
channel,  and  gave  vent  to  the  waters  stagnating  upon  the 
prairies  above. 

The  surface  of  Illinois  is  almost  uniformly  level,  the 
most  so  of  any  other  of  the  American  states,  with  the 
exception  of  Louisiana  and  Delaware.  A  small  section 
in  the  southern  part  may  be  denominated  hilly,  and  the 
more  northern  portion  is  broken  and  uneven.  Along  the 
Illinois  River  there  are,  likewise,  considerable  elevations  ; 
and  the  Mississippi  bluffs  in  some  places  might  pass  for 


YANKEE   FENCES   IN   ILLINOIS.  209 

the  Grand  Prairie,  and  will  furnish  supplies  of  building 
material;  while  the  Osage  orange  — a  tough,  hardy  shrub  — 
can  be  grown  rapidly  into  hedges.  In  the  meantime, 
resort  must  be  had  to  turf  fences  and  ditches.  Those 
who  have  settled  upon  the  prairie  contrive  to  eke  out 
their  fencing  timber  so  as  to  make  the  most  of  it.  The 
Yankee  settlers  have  introduced  into  Illinois  a  new  kind 
of  fence,  that  takes  all  the  conceit  out  of  the  zigzag  Vir- 
ginia worm  fences.  Coming  from  the  land  of  wooden 
nutmegs  and  basswood  hams,  they  seem  to  possess  a  rare 
genius  for  working  up  wood  to  the  best  advantage?  With 
an  inveterate  propensity  for  whittling,  they  rive  out  of 
oak  logs  narrow  strips,  and  drive  them  into  the  ground, 
about  three  inches  apart,  along  the  line  of  the  fence ;  and 
upon  the  tops  nail  a  cap,  to  hold  all  secure.  After  a  year 
or  two,  a  furrow  is  thrown  up,  on  each  side,  against  the 
stakes,  to  give  additional  support.  Fences  can  be  made 
in  that  manner  so  tight  that  a  grasshopper  could  hardly 
jump  through.  The  amount  of  timber  necessary  to  in- 
close a  field  is,  in  this  way,  greatly  lessened  —  by  nearly 
one-half. 

Those  who  have  witnessed  the  changes  produced  upon 
a  prairie  surface  within  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  by 
excluding  the  fires  from  them,  consider  the  extensive 
prairies  of  Illinois  as  offering  no  serious  impediment  to 
the  future  growth  of  the  state.  The  effect  of  protecting 
the  surface  from  the  ravages  of  fire  may  be  seen  in  St. 
Louis  county,  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  which,  down  to 
1823,  was  pretty  much  all  prairie.  But  now  that  tract  is 
covered  with  a  thrifty  growth  of  timber,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  an  acre  of  prairie  in  the  county.  The 
mode  of  forming  settlements  upon  prairie  lands  has  been 
thus  described  :  "  The  first  improvements  are  usually  made 
on  that  part  of  the  prairie  Which  adjoins  the  timber ;  and 

N 


THE   GREAT  WEST. 

thus  \ve  may  see,  at  the  commencement,  a  range  of  farms 
circumscribing  the  entire  prairie.  The  burning  of  the 
prairies  is  then  stopped,  through  the  whole  distance  of  the 
circuit  in  the  neighborhood  of  these  farms,  to  prevent 
injury  to  the  fences  and  other  improvements.  This  is 
done,  by  plowing  two  or  three  furrows  all  round  the  set- 
tlement. In  a  short  time  the  timber  springs  up  spon- 
taneously on  all  the  parts  not  burned,  and  the  groves  and 
forests  commence  a  gradual  encroachment  on  the  adjacent 
prairies.  By  and  by  you  will  see  another  tier  of  farms 
springn%  up  on  the  outside  of  the  first,  and  further  out 
on  the  prairie  ;  and  thus  farm  succeeds  farm,  as  the  tim- 
ber grows  up,  until  the  entire  prairie  is  occupied." 

The  sward  of  the  prairies  is  exceedingly  tough,  com- 
posed of  the  fibrous  grass-roots  ;  and,  in  turning  it  over, 
five  or  six  yoke  of  cattle  are  required  to  draw  the  plow. 
Two  drivers,  generally  a  man  and  a  boy,  guide  the  team. 
Moving  over  an  unbroken  surface,  uninterrupted  by  stones 
or  stumps,  the  plow  moves  steadily  along ;  the  plowman 
having  but  little  to  do,  except  at  the  end  of  the  "  lands," 
•where  the  direction  has  to  be  changed,  and  the  plow  set 
in  at  a  proper  distance  for  the  furrow.  The  modern  wheel 
plow  is  mostly  in  use ;  the  wheel  at  the  nose  of  the  beam 
regulating  the  depth,  and  the  sharp  colter,  its  heel  set 
against  the  point  of  the  share,  dividing  the  sward  like  a 
knife.  It  would  be  almost  impossible  for  the  plowman 
alone  to  regulate  the  depth  without  the  wheel ;  for  some- 
times the  plow  would  be  thrown  out  by  the  sward,  and 
at  other  times  plunged  into  the  ground  to  the  beam.  To 
procure  steadiness,  the  plow  is  set  by  the  dip  of  the  share, 
so  as  to  run  too  deep,  which  brings  a  constant  pressure 
upon  the  wheel,  and  binds  the  whole  machine  steadily  to 
the  earth.  In  earlier  times,  before  the  invention  of  plows 
that  were  adapted  to  prairie  service,  the  end  of  the  beam 


PRAIRIE   LANDS.  207 

mountains ;  but  the  far  greater  portion  of  the  state  is  dis- 
tributed in  vast  plains,  that  are  gently  rolling  like  the 
waves  of  the  sea  after  a  storm.  The  surface  is  remark- 
ably free  from  stone.  A  few  of  the  northern  counties  are 
somewhat  stony,  yet,  in  every  other  part,  the  plow  may 
pass  over  millions  of  acres  without  striking  as  much  as  a 
pebble  big  enough  to  fling  at  a  humming-bird. 

The  portion  of  the  soil  most  celebrated  for  its  fertility 
and  productiveness  consists  of  the  rich  bottoms  or  allu- 
vial borders  of  the  rivers,  which  have  been  formed  from 
the  deposits  of  the  waters  during  floods.  On  some  of  these 
the  surface  mold  is  more  than  thirty  feet  in  depth ;  but,  at 
present,  nearly  one-sixth  of  the  bottom-lands  in  the  state 
are  unfit  for  cultivation,  though  productive  of  valuable 
timber.  A  tract,  called  the  "American  Bottom,"  extend- 
ing along  the  Mississippi  for  ninety  miles,  and  about  five 
miles  in  average  width,  is  of  this  formation.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  French  towns,  it  has  been  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  has  produced  great  crops  of  corn  every  year, 
without  manuring,  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

The  prairie  lands  of  Illinois  are  less  fertile  than  the 
river  bottoms,  yet  they  are  not  inferior  for  many  agricul- 
tural purposes,  and  are  greatly  preferable,  where  timber 
can  be  had,  on  account  of  the  salubrity  of  the  climate. 
The  soil  of  the  oak  openings  is  still  thinner  and  lighter 
than  the  prairies.  The  level  region,  embracing  the  whole 
country  lying  between  the  waters  which  flow  into  the 
Mississippi  and  the  waters  which  flow  into  the  Wabash, 
is  denominated  the  "  Grand  Prairie."  The  surface  is 
undulating,  and  the  wave-like  ridges,  with  a  long,  gentle 
slope  on  one  side,  precipitous  on  the  other,  frequently  rise 
into  quite  respectable  hills.  But  the  general  aspect  of  the 
country  is  that  of  a  dead  level  sea  of  grass.  Grand 
Prairie  does  not  consist  of  one  vast  tract  alone  —  it  is 


208  THE    GREAT    WEST. 

made  up  of  a  great  number  of  continuous  tracts,  centering 
upon  an  immense  plain.  Long  reaches  of  timber  stretch, 
in  narrow  lines,  far  into  that  plain,  while  broad  arms  of 
prairie  are  extended  out  between.  The  central  plain 
itself  is  utterly  destitute  of  trees  and  shrubbery. 

The  southern  points  of  the  Grand  Prairie  are  formed  in 
Jackson  county ;  and  from  thence,  extending  in  a  north- 
easterly direction,  varying  in  width  from  five  to  twenty 
miles,  through  the  counties  of  Perry,  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son, Marion,  Fayette,  Effingham,  Coles,  Champaign,  and 
Iroquois,  it  becomes  connected  with  those  prairies  which 
project  eastward  from  the  Illinois  River.  A  very  large 
arm  stretches  up  through  Marion  county,  between  the 
Crooked  Creek  and  the  east  fork  of  the  Kaskaskia  River. 
This  latter  part,  alone,  is  frequently  spoken  of  as  the 
Grand  Prairie,  though,  in  fact,  it  is  but  a  single  branch 
of  it.  The  Grand  Prairie  comprises  territory  sufficient 
for  a  state,  respectable  in  size.  The  Vincennes  road 
passes  through  it  in  Marion  county.  The  soil  is  mostly 
fertile ;  but  in  the  southern  part  there  are  vast  flats  that 
are  quite  inferior. 

No  insurmountable  obstacle  exists  in  the  way  of  settle- 
ments upon  the  Grand  'Prairie.  Timber  for  buildings  and 
fences  alone  is  wanting.  Fuel  is  plentiful ;  for  the  im- 
mense coal  field  which  stretches  away  through  western 
Kentucky,  northern  Missouri,  and  the  greater  part  of  Iowa, 
crosses  the  Mississippi  to  the  eastward,  and  underlies 
almost  every  acre  of  the  Grand  Prairie.  The  coal  region 
of  Illinois  is  the  most  extensive  of  any  state  or  country 
on  the  globe.  It  comprises  an  area  of  about  forty-four 
thousand  square  miles — nearly  three  times  larger  than  that 
of  Pennsylvania.  "With  the  completion  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  the  lumber  regions  of  Michigan  and 
Wisconsin  will  have  been  brought  into  connection  with 


THE   TIMBER   REGION.  211 

had  to  be  attached  to  the  axletree  of  a  cart,  the  box  of 
which  served  to  carry  an  ax,  mattock,  chains,  wrenches, 
screws,  nuts,  bolts,  clevises,  and  pieces  of  timber  for 
repairs,  in  case  of  accidents.  The  yield  of  wheat  the 
third  season  is  deemed  the  best.  After  that  the  surface 
of  the  ground  will  have  become  mellow  as  an  ash  heap. 

Illinois  has  plenty  of  timber  within  its  limits ;  and,  were 
it  equally  distributed  through  the  state,  there  would  be 
no  part  deficient.  The  several  species  of  oaks  are  most 
abundant.  The  other  varieties  are  the  black-walnut, 
the  white-walnut,  ash,  elm,  maple,  honey-locust,  hackber- 
ry,  linden,  or  whitewood,  pecan,  cottonwood,  mulberry, 
buckeye,  sycamore,  wild  cherry,  box,  sassafras,  and  per- 
simmon. The  undergrowths  are  the  red-bud,  pawpaw, 
sumac,  plum,  crab-apple,  dog-wood,  spice-bush,  green- 
briar,  and  hazel.  On  the  bottom-lands,  the  cottonwood 
and  sycamore  grow  to  amazing  size. 

The  prairies  of  Illinois  are  finely  adapted  for  grazing. 
Immense  flocks  and  herds  might  find  ample  room  and 
abundant  supplies  of  pasturage.  The  inhabitants  are 
turning  their  attention  in  that  direction.  The  state  has 
superior  advantages  for  the  growth  of  wool,  and  might 
supply  half  the  manufactories  of  the  Union  with  that 
great  staple.  The  clipping  of  wool,  in  1840,  was  only 
about  six  hundred  thousand  pounds ;  in  1850  it  had  in- 
creased to  nearly  two  and  one  half  million  pounds. 
There  need  be  no  limit  to  the  growth  of  wool  but  the 
demand  for  it  in  the  market. 

The  northern  part  of  the  state  is  inexhaustibly  rich  in 
minerals.  Iron  ore  is  widely  distributed.  Copper  and 
silver  have  been  found  in  considerable  quantities.  But 
the  great  mining  operations  are  confined  to  the  lead  re- 
gion, in  the  north-western  point,  in  the  vicinity  of  Galena. 
The  lead  region  embraces  an  area  of  about  sixty  square 


212  THE    GREAT   WEST 

miles.  Commencing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Moqua- 
quity  River,  in  Wisconsin,  it  extends  along  both  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  about  sixty  miles,  in  Wisconsin,  Illinois, 
and  Iowa.  Galena  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Fever 
River,  six  miles  above  the  Mississippi,  and  is  accessible 
to  the  largest  class  of  steamboats,  at  all  seasons. 

Chicago,  the  most  populous  and  commercial  city  of 
Illinois  and  the  north-west,  is  situated  on  the  south- 
western shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  on  both  sides  of  the 
Chicago  River.  The  city  is  built  on  an  extremely  level 
plain,  sufficiently  elevated  to  prevent  inundation,  and 
extending  many  miles  toward  the  south  and  west.  The 
Chicago  River  and  its  north  and  south  branches,  which 
unite  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  lake, 
divide  the  city  into  three  parts.  The  main  stream,  flow- 
ing directly  eastward,  forms  one  of  the  best  natural 
harbors  on  the  lake.  Vessels  ascend  the  river  nearly  five 
miles.  By  a  glance  at  the  map,  the  superior  commercial 
advantages  of  Chicago  will  be  readily  seen.  It  commu- 
nicates by  means  of  the  lakes,  and  Michigan  Central  and 
Michigan  Southern  railroads,  with  the  Atlantic  cities  ; 
by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  in  connection  with 
steamers  on  the  Mississippi,  with  New  Orleans;  by  the 
Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  to  St.  Louis ;  and 
by  other  roads,  embracing  a  vast  extent  of  country,  south- 
west and  north.  The  rapid  growth  of  Chicago  is  unpar- 
alleled. It  was  incorporated  in  1836 ;  in  1840,  it  contained 
four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-three  inhabitants ; 
in  1850,  twenty-nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  ;  and  in  1856,  about  ninety  thousand. 

The  Mississippi  forms  the  western  boundary  of  the 
state;  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash  rivers  demark  its  south- 
ern and  eastern  limits,  together  forming  a  natural  high- 
way, by  water,  of  unexampled  extent.  The  Illinois  River, 


VAEIETIES  OF  CLIMATE.  213 

through  the  center  of  the  state,  is  navigable  over  four 
hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  it  is  connected  with 
Lake  Michigan  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  at 
Chicago.  That  canal  is  one  hundred  miles  in  length. 
The  railroad  lines  from  Chicago  reach  the  Mississippi 
River  at  Galena,  Rock  Island,  Quincy,  Alton,  and  Cairo. 
The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  runs  through  the  heart  of 
the  "  Grand  Prairie."  A  line  stretches  along  the  lake  to 
Milwaukie,  and  other  lines  to  Janesville,  Madison,  and 
Fond  du  Lac. 

Illinois  offers  very  great  advantages  to  the  settler ;  but, 
at  the  same  time,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that,  as  the 
state  extends  through  five  and  one-half  degrees  of  latitude, 
it  possesses  considerable  variety  of  climate,  and  that  the 
level  surface,  unsheltered  by  forests,  exposes  it  alike  to 
sun  and  storm.  The  summers  are  hot  and  prolonged, 
and  the  winters  everywhere  severe.  The  prevailing 
winds  are  the  south-west,  which  blow  three-fourths  of  the 
year.  The  northerly  and  westerly  winds  prevail  in  win- 
ter. On  the  whole,  the  climate  may  be  regarded  as 
favorable  to  outdoor  employments,  the  proportion  of 
clear  weather  being  two  hundred  and  forty-five  days,  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  of  cloudy.  The  general  salu- 
brity of  Illinois  is  well  attested,  and  few  suffer  from 
endemic  diseases,  except  those  who  have  settled  near 
swamps  and  wet  bottom-lands. 

The  winter  of  1855-56  has  been  one  of  uncommon 
severity  throughout  the  West.  On  the  prairies,  the  cold 
has  been  intense.  Tee  has  been  formed  as  far  down  as  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  cold  weather  in  Illinois  continued, 
uninterrupted,  for  more  than  two  months.  Such  periods 
of  intense  cold,  however,  recur  at  wide  intervals.  Some 
may  be  curious  to  know  the  seasons  of  the  greatest  cold 
which  have  occurred.  In  1133,  the  river  Po,  in  Italy, 


214  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

was  frozen  from  Cremona  to  the  sea;  wine  burst  the 
casks  containing  it,  and  the  trees  split  with  a  loud 
report. 

In  1234,  the  Mediterranean  was  frozen  over,  and  mer- 
chandise was  transported  across  it  on  the  ice.  The 
winter  of  1681  was  so  severe  that  whole  forests  of  oak 
were  ruined,  the  trees  being  split  with  the  cold. 

In  1698,  the  wolves  came  into  Vienna,  and  attacked 
men,  women,  and  children,  owing  to  the  intense  cold  and 
hunger. 

And  in  1704,  the  most  extraordinary  storm  of  which 
there  is  any  record,  occurred  in  Scotland.  The  snow  fell 
in  a  single  night  to  the  depth  of  ten  feet. 

The  schools  of  Illinois  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
The  funds  appropriated  to  their  support  amount  to  a 
million  of  dollars.  The  Illinois  College  is  located  at 
Jacksonville;  the  Shurtleff  College,  at  Upper  Alton; 
the  McKendree  College,  at  Lebanon ;  and  the  Knox  Col- 
lege, at  Galesburg.  There  are  twenty-seven  libraries  in 
the  state,  containing  about  twenty  thousand  volumes. 
The  Law  Library  contains  four  thousand  volumes. 

In  Illinois,  the  necessary  wearing  apparel  of  every 
person  is  exempt  from  execution,  and  household  furniture 
to  the  value  of  fifteen  dollars,  beside  bedding  and  uten- 
sils for  cooking.  Also,  one  cow;  two  sheep  for  each 
member  of  the  family;  and  sixty  dollars'  worth  of  prop- 
erty, to  be  selected  by  the  debtor;  provisions  for  three 
months ;  and,  in  case  of  fines,  only  one  bed  and  bedding, 
one  cow,  and  ten  dollars'  worth  of  household  kitchen- 
furniture. 


ORGANIZED  AS  A   TERRITORY.         -        217 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

WISCONSIN. 

Organized  as  a  territory  —  First  settlements  —  Rapid  emigration  — 
Source  of  emigration  —  Admission  as  a  state  —  Number  of  coun- 
ties, dwellings,  and  families — Nature  of  the  population  —  State 
laws,  with  regard  to  voters  —  Courts  —  Interesting  provisions  of 
the  constitution  —  Length,  breadth,  and  general  surface  of  the 
state  —  Southern  Wisconsin  —  Superior  natural  advantages  —  Prai- 
ries—  Oak  openings  —  Abundant  pasturages — Inducements  to  set- 
tlers —  Southern  Wisconsin  compared  with  other  states  —  Increase 
of  Agricultural  wealth  —  Lead  mines  —  Iron  region  —  Lime- 
stone —  White  marble  —  Northern  Wisconsin  —  Extensive  pine 
regions  —  Water-power  —  The  Wisconsin  pine  —  Annual  amount 
sawed  —  Climate  of  Wisconsin  —  Health  —  Opinion  of  physi- 
cians —  Commerce  —  Harbors  —  Milwaukie  brick  —  Railroads  — — 
Educational  institutions  and  laws  —  Exemption  laws. 

THE  region  of  country  west  of  Lake  Michigan  —  form- 
erly attached  to  the  territorial  jurisdiction  of  Michigan, 
and  known  as  the  "  Huron  District  — was  erected  into  a 
separate  territorial  government,  under  the  name  of  the 
Wisconsin  Territory,  upon  the  admission  of  the  State  of 
Michigan  into  the  Union  in  1837.  Henry  Dodge  was 
appointed  governor,  and  John  S.  Horner,  secretary.  The 
territory,  at  that  time,  comprised  within  its  limits  all  the 
country  from  Lake  Michigan  to  Lake  Superior,  extending 
westward  to  the  Missouri  River,  including  all  the  sources 
of  the  Upper  Mississippi.  Its  southern  limits  were  the 
northern  boundaries  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  and  its 
extent,  from  north  to  south,  was  five  hundred  and  eighty 
miles,  and  from  east  to  west,  six  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

Its  settled  portions  consisted  of  a  small  tract  near  the 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  organized  counties  lay 
10 


218  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

along  the  Fox  River  of  Green  Bay,  as  far  as  Fort  Win- 
nebago,  and  thence  down  the  Wisconsin  River,  on  the 
south-eastern  side,  for  thirty  miles  below  the  portage. 
Immigrants,  coming  in  by  the  way  of  Milwaukie  and 
Racine,  were  advancing  upon  the  tributaries  of  Rock 
River,  as  far  west  as  the  Four  Lakes  and  Fort  Madi- 
son. A  few  settlements  had  grown  up  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi,  north  of  Galena;  and  some  where  ex- 
tending across  the  river  upon  the  Des  Momes,  Skunk 
River,  Lower  Iowa,  and  Wapsipinicon.  Those  settlements 
upon  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi  were  known  as 
the  District  of  Iowa.  After  the  organization  of  a  separate 
territorial  government,  and  especially  after  the  extinction, 
of  the  Indian  title,  in  1837,  the  settlements  began  to 
extend  in  a  remarkable  manner,  not  only  upon  the  western 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  in  an  equal  degree  upon  the 
Mississippi.  About  the  same  time,  immense  numbers  of 
foreign  immigrants  from  Europe,  but  chiefly  from  Germany, 
arriving  at  New  York  and  New  Orleans,  took  their  way  to 
Wisconsin,  around  the  lakes,  and  up  the  Mississippi. 
And  thousands  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Kentucky,  and  Tennessee,  or  their  descendants,  were 
seeking  new  homes  in  the  same  direction. 

During  the  years  1841,  1842,  and  1843,  emigration  from 
the  New  England  and  middle  states  began  sending  its 
floods  into  Wisconsin  Territory,  to  repose  along  the  Wis- 
consin River.  Inhabitants  came  crowding  into  the  beauti- 
fully undulating  lands  near  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
south  of  Green  Bay,  to  the  Illinois  line,  and  around  Lake 
Winnebago,  and  between  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers. 
Settlements  soon  spread  throughout  this  delightful  coun- 
try, diversified  by  lakes  and  rivers,  in  which  the  crystal 
tributaries  of  the  Rock  River  take  their  rise.  Thriving 
towns  and  villages  were  springing  up  in  all  parts  of  this 


ADMISSION   INTO   THE   UNION.  219 

region,  which,  but  a  few  years  previously,  had  been  called 
the  Far  West,  beyond  the  advance  of  white  settlements 
and  civilized  life,  in  the  sole  occupancy  of  the  most 
degraded  and  improvident  of  the  savage  tribes  —  the 
Winnebagoes,  the  Sacs,  and  the  Foxes.  During  1843,  the 
aggregate  number  of  persons  that  arrived  in  the  Wiscon- 
sin Territory  has  been  estimated  at  more  than  sixty 
thousand,  embracing  all  ages,  and  both  sexes.  Of  those, 
fifty  thousand  came  by  the  route  of  the  lakes. 

In  1845,  Wisconsin  Territory  contained  more  inhabi- 
tants than  any  other  new  territory  had  possessed  upon 
admission  into  the  Union ;  yet  the  people,  satisfied  with 
the  territorial  form  of  government,  did  not  desire,  the  set- 
tlements having  been  made  so  recently,  to  incur  the  addi- 
tional expenses  of  an  independent  state  government. 
And  although  the  population  amounted  to  more  than  one 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  souls,  they  had  not  made 
application  to  Congress  for  authority  to  organize  them- 
selves into  a  state.  Leave,  however,  having  been  granted 
by  Congress,  in  1846,  for  the  holding  of  a  convention,  the 
delegates  assembled  at  Madison,  in  October  of  that  year, 
and  adopted  a  constitution.  But  the  people,  at  the  next 
election,  having  rejected  it,  another  convention  was  held 
in  the  winter  of  1847,  and  the  new  constitution  was 
approved  in  April  following.  On  the  twenty -ninth  day  of 
May,  1848,  Wisconsin  was  admitted  into  the  Union  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  other  states. 

Wisconsin  is  divided  into  thirty-one  counties,  the  most 
populous  of  which  are,  Dane,  Dodge,  Milwaukie,  Racine, 
Rock,  Walworth,  Washington,  Waukesha,  Winnebago, 
Kenosha,  Jefferson,  Grant,  and  Fond  du  Lac  counties ;  and 
the  least  populous  are,  Saint  Croix,  Richland,  Marathon,  La 
Pointe,  Chippewa,  and  Adams.  In  1850,  the  whole  num- 
ber of  dwellings  in  the  state  was  fifty-six  thousand  three 


220  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

hundred  and  sixteen ;  of  families,  fifty-seven  thousand  six 
hundred  and  eight;  and  of  inhabitants,  three  hundred  and 
four  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty-five.  Wisconsin 
contains  twenty-one  thousand  more  males  than  females ; 
and  a  larger  number  of  foreigners  in  proportion  to  the 
whole  population  than  any  other  state — one-third  being 
foreigners.  Of  the  whole  population,  upward  of  sixty 
thousand  were  born  in  the  state ;  the  balance  came,  mainly 
as  follows,  viz.:  From  New  England,  twenty-seven  thou- 
sand ;  from  New  York,  sixty -nine  thousand ;  New  Jersey 
and  Pennsylvania,  eleven  thousand ;  Kentucky  and  Michi- 
gan, each  two  thousand;  Ohio,  twelve  thousand;  and 
Illinois,  six  thousand.  Of  the  foreign  population,  nine- 
teen thousand  came  from  England ;  twenty-two  thousand 
from  Ireland ;  three  thousand  five  hundred  from  Scot- 
land; twelve  hundred  from  Russia;  nine  thousand  from 
Norway ;  four  thousand  from  Prussia ;  and  nine  thousand 
from  British  America.  Wisconsin  is  entitled  to  three 
members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States. 

The  Legislature  meets  annually  at  Madison,  on  the 
first  Monday  of  January.  All  males,  twenty-one  years 
old,  residents  of  the  state  for  one  year  next  before  the 
election,  who  are  white  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or 
white  foreigners  who  have  declared  their  intention  to  be- 
come such  citizens,  or  persons  of  Indian  blood  once  de- 
clared by  the  laws  of  the  United  States  to  be  citizens — 
subsequent  laws  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding  —  or  civ- 
ilized persons  of  Indian  descent,  not  members  of  a  tribe, 
are  entitled  to  vote  at  all  elections.  The  elections  are 
held  on  the  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November, 
in  each  year. 

Wisconsin  has  an  elective  judiciary.  The  state  is 
divided  into-  six  judicial  districts,  in  each  of  which  the 


THE   STATE   CONSTITUTION.  221 

people  elect  a  supreme  court  judge,  for  six  years.  The 
circuit  courts  have  original  jurisdiction  of  all  actions  — 
civil,  criminal,  and  equitable.  The  supreme  court,  with 
the  exception  of  issuing  writs  of  mandamus,  quo  warran- 
to,  and  the  like,  has  appellate  jurisdiction  only,  and  is 
the  court  of  last  resort.  There  can  be  no  trial  by  jury 
in  that  court.  The  county  courts  are  composed  of  a 
county  judge  for  each  county,  elected  for  four  years ; 
and  they  have  concurrent  jurisdiction  with  the  circuit 
court,  where  the  damages  claimed  do  not  exceed  five 
hundred  dollars.  Justices  of  the  peace  are  elected  in 
the  several  towns,  and  hold  office  for  two  years. 

The  state  constitution  contains  some  interesting  mis- 
cellaneous provisions,  among  which  are  the  following :  No 
lottery  or  divorce  can  be  granted  by  the  legislature ;  laws 
shall  be  passed  providing  a  way  for  suing  the  state  ;  the 
credit  of  the  state  shall  never  be  lent,  nor  shall  any  debt 
be  contracted  nor  money  paid  for  internal  improvements, 
unless  the  state  holds  trust  property  dedicated  to  such 
uses ;  except  in  cases  of  war,  invasion,  or  insurrection,  no 
debt  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  shall  be 
contracted;  an  university,  without  sectarian  instruction, 
shall  be  established;  the  legislature  shall  prevent  towns 
and  cities  from  contracting  debts  ;  no  general  or  special 
law  to  create  a  bank  or  banks  shall  be  passed,  till  a 
majority  of  the  votes  at  a  general  election  shall  have  been 
in  favor  of  a  bank,  and  until  such  majority  have  afterward 
approved  the  act  passed ;  any  person  implicated  in  a  duel 
loses  the  right  of  suffrage,  and  becomes  ineligible  to  any 
office ;  no  public  defaulter  shall  hold  any  office ;  in  crimi- 
nal prosecutions  for  libel,  the  jury  are  judges  of  both  law 
and  fact ;  leases  of  agricultural  lands  for  more  than  fifteen 
years  are  void ;  resident  aliens  have  all  the  property  rights 
of  citizens;  imprisonment  for  debt  is  abolished;  no 


THE    GREAT   WEST. 

religious  opinions  shall  disqualify  a  witness.  Amend- 
ments to  the  constitution,  agreed  to  by  the  legislature, 
shall  be  published  for  three  months  before  the  election, 
and  again  referred  to  the  legislature  then  chosen ;  and  if 
again  approved,  shall  then  be  submitted  to  the  people. 
And  a  convention  may  be  called  in  like  manner. 

The  State  of  Wisconsin  in  its  greatest  length,  north 
and  south,  is  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles,  and  its 
greatest  breadth  is  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  miles.  Tt 
comprises  an  area  of  about  fifty-four  thousand  square 
miles.  The  surface  of  Wisconsin  presents  the  appearance 
of  a  vast  plain,  extending  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the 
Mississippi  Eiver.  The  water-shed,  or  divide,  is  near  the 
lake ;  but  it  bears  away  to  the  north-west.  The  surface 
of  the  state  possesses  great  uniformity  of  elevation,  and 
it  is  neither  mountainous,  hilly,  nor  flat,  but  gently  undu- 
lating throughout,  presenting  to  the  settler  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  regions  of  country  in  America.  Wisconsin  is 
one  of  the  highest,  best-watered,  and  best-drained  states 
in  the  Union.  The  country  west  of  the  Sugar  River,  and 
south  of  the  Wisconsin,  is  somewhat  broken,  principally 
by  the  dividing  ridge  upon  which  the  road  from  Madison 
to  Prairie  du  Chien  passes.  West  of  the  Wisconsin 
River  is  a  range  of  hills,  which  might  be  dignified  with 
the  name  of  mountains,  seeing  they  are  situated  in  the 
heart  of  a  level  country. 

The  south-eastern  portion  of  the  state  is  one  continuous 
table-land,  marked  and  furrowed  by  ravines  along  the 
streams,  which  are  depressed  but  little  below  the  sur- 
rounding surface.  The  principal  features  of  that  region 
are  the  prairies,  destitute  of  trees  and  shrubbery,  covered 
by  a  luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  interspersed,  in  the  spring, 
with  flowers  of  every  hue ;  the  oak  openings,  which,  Mke 
those  of  Michigan,  have  a  sufficiency  of  timber  for  fencing 


SUPERIOR    NATURAL,   ADVANTAGES.  223 

and  building  purposes  scattered  over  the  surface;  the 
wood-land  borders  of  the  little  lakes  and  streams,  running 
out  into  the  prairies  and  openings  in  all  directions ;  and  the 
natural  meadows,  which  supply  any  amount  of  pasturage, 
and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  hay  for  the  winter.  The  soil 
of  the  prairies  and  openings  consists  of  a  vegetable  mold, 
dark-brown  in  color,  and  from  one  to  two  feet  in  depth, 
very  mellow,  and  entirely  destitute  of  stone  or  gravel. 
For  fertility  it  is  not,  and  can  not  be  surpassed.  The  sub- 
soil is  a  clayey  loam,  preventing  all  danger  of  leaching, 
and  furnishing,  by  deep  plowing,  a  ready  means  for 
enriching  the  surface. 

The  prairies  of  Wisconsin  are  not  so  extensive  as  those 
of  other  states,  and  being  skirted  and  belted  with  timber, 
within  easy  access  from  every  part,  they  are  adapted  to 
immediate  and  profitable  occupation.  Nature  has  done 
all  the  clearing  and  preparing  the  lands;  man  has  only 
to  put  in  the  plow,  and  reap  abundant  harvests.  The 
openings  comprise  the  finest  portions  of  the  state.  The 
autumnal  fires  have  kept  down  the  under-growth,  and 
destroyed  all  the  varieties  of  timber,  except  the  oak,  which 
seems  to  be  capable  of  withstanding  the  sweep  of  that 
element.  That  autumnal  destruction  of  wood,  and  leaves, 
and  grasses,  has  been  adding  to  the  richness  of  the  land 
for  ages ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  there  has  been  left  a 
sufficient  supply  of  timber  for  the  immediate  wants  of  the 
immigrant.  These  considerations  explain,  in  a  great 
measure,  the  wonderful  capacity  Wisconsin  has  displayed 
for  rapid  settlement.  There  is  another  fact,  important  to 
be  noticed  in  this  connection  :  "  The  low,  level  prairie, 
or  natural  meadow,  of  moderate  extent,  is  so  generally 
distributed  over  the  face  of  the  country,  that  the  settler, 
on  a  fine  section  of  arable  lands,  finds  on  Ms  own  farm,  or 


224  THE    GHEAT   WEST. 

in  his  immediate  neighborhood,  abundant  pasturage  for 
his  stock  in  summer;  and  hay  for  the  winter  for  th^  cut- 
ting—  the  bounty  of  Nature  supplying  his  need  in  this 
behalf  till  the  cultivated  grasses  can  be  introduced  and 
become  sufficient  for  his  use." 

Presenting  such  strong  inducements  to  the  actual  settler, 
Wisconsin  has  been  rapidly  drawing  within  its  borders  an 
enterprising,  industrious,  and  thrifty  population.  The 
increase  has  been  almost  unexampled.  In  1840,  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  did  not  possess  thirty-one  thou- 
sand inhabitants ;  but  in  the  ten  years  next  succeeding,  the 
number  had  increased  to  more  than  three  hundred  thou- 
sand. It  may  safely  be  presumed  that  the  southern  half 
of  the  state  is  capable  of  accommodating  and  supporting 
a  denser  population  than  any  other  part  of  America  of 
the  same  extent.  As  rapidly  as  the  country  would  appear 
to  have  been  settling  up,  a  small  portion  only  of  the 
choicest  lands  has  been  reduced  to  actual  occupation. 
Thousands  of  acres,  equal  to  the  best  in  the  world,  are 
awaiting  the  hand  of  the  husbandman  to  make  them  blos- 
som like  a  garden.  In  1850,  the  unimproved  farm  lands 
in  Wisconsin  numbered  over  one  million  nine  hundred 
thousand  acres;  the  improved  lands,  one  million  and 
forty-five  thousand  acres;  the  total  number  of  cultivated 
farms,  twenty  thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven. 
The  farming  implements  and  machinery  were  at  the 
same  time  valued  at  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of 
dollars. 

The  western  boundary  of  Wisconsin  is  formed  by  the  St. 
Croix  and  the  Mississippi  rivers.  The  latter  is  navigable  by 
steamboats  as  far  as  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  two  thousand 
miles  from  its  mouth,  and  thus  opens  a  communication  with 
the  rich  and  spacious  country  on  the  south,  by  its  numerous 


INTERNAL   WATERS. 

tributaries,  and  even  with  the  Atlantic  ports  through  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  Of  the  rivers  of  the  state,  the  most 
important  is  the  Wisconsin,  which  has  a  course  of  prob- 
ably two  hundred  miles  almost  directly  south,  when  it 
flows  nearly  west  for  about  one  hundred  more.  There  is 
also  the  Chippewa,  about  two  hundred,  and  the  Black,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  long.  The  Fox,  or  Neenah,  is 
the  outlet  of  Winnebago  Lake,  and  connects  it  with  Green 
Bay.  These  rivers  are  not  generally  favorable  to  navi- 
gation, without  artificial  aid.  The  Wisconsin  may  be 
ascended  by  steamboats  to  the  rapids,  where  it  approaches 
a  tributary  of  Lake  Winnebago,  within  a  mile  and  a  half, 
where  a  canal  is  being  constructed,  which,  when  com- 
pleted, will  open  an  entire  inland  navigation  from  New 
York  to  the  Upper  Mississippi.  Besides  the  great  lakes 
Superior  and  Michigan,  which  bound  her  on  the  north  and 
east,  Wisconsin  has  a  number  of  small  lakes.  The  prin- 
cipal of  these  is  Lake  Winnebago,  about  twenty-eight 
miles  long,  and  ten  miles  wide,  and  connected  with  Green 
Bay  through  the  Fox  River.  These  small  lakes  are  gen- 
erally characterized  by  clear  water  and  gravelly  bottoms. 
They  afford  excellent  fish.  Wild  rice  grows  in  the 
shallow  waters  on  the  margins  of  some  of  them,  and 
is  an  important  article  of  food  with  the  savages  of  this 
region. 

The  mining  and  lumbering  facilities  of  that  state  are  on  the 
grandest  scale.  The  copper  mines  are  reserved  for  the  chap- 
ter on  "  The  Superior  Country."  Wisconsin  is  best  known 
as  a  mineral  region  by  its  lead  mines,  which  comprise  four- 
fifths  of  the  entire  lead  district  of  the  West.  The  lead- 
bearing  rock  is  a  porous  limestone,  and  it  prevails  through- 
out the  counties  of  Grant,  Iowa,  and  Lafayette.  Three- 
fourths  of  all  the  lead  shipped  at  Galena  is  produced  in 

10*  O 

. 


226  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Wisconsin.  There  are,  also,  large  quantities  shipped  at 
other  places  along  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the  Wisconsin 
River,  the  precise  amounts  of  which  no  data  has  been  fur- 
nished upon  which  an  intelligent  estimate  can  be  made. 
The  general  appearance  of  the  lead  region  of  Wisconsin 
is  precisely  similar  to  that  of  Illinois, —  a  broken,  desolate 
surface,  covered  with  a  wiry,  unpalatable  grass ;  but  the 
rich  mineral  lies  below. 

The  iron  mines  of  Wisconsin  have  scarcely  yet  been 
opened ;  but  they  are  well  worthy  of  the  attention  of  the 
immigrant.  The  ore  exists  in  great  abundance  near  the 
head-waters  of  the  Rock  River,  on  the  upper  tributaries  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  to  the  west  of  the  sources  of  the 
Menominee.  In  respect  to  the  iron,  it  is  impossible  to  do 
more  than  point  out,  generally,  the  localities  where  it  is 
known  to  exist.  The  region  where  the  ore  abounds  is 
mostly  a  howling  wilderness.  The  smelting  of  the  ore 
requires  a  great  outlay  of  capital  in  the  first  instance ;  and, 
in  view  of  the  present  condition  of  the  country,  it  will 
probably  be  several  years  before  the  iron  of  Wisconsin 
•will  become  known  in  the  market.  But  with  the  lead  it 
is  quite  different.  Very  little  capital  is  requisite.  The 
exceeding  abundance  of  the  mineral,  the  comparative 
ease  with  which  it  may  be  mined",  and  the  high  price  it 
commands,  the  moment  it  is  brought  to  the  surface,  open 
to  the  industrious  and  prudent  operative  a  highway  to 
wealth. 

"  The  limestone  underlying  the  coal  fields  of  Illinois 
forms  the  immediate  basis  of  the  alluvion  of  southern 
Wisconsin.  This  geological  district,  in  addition  to  that 
portion  of  the  state  which  lies  southerly  of  the  valley  of 
the  Wisconsin  River,  comprises  the  whole  of  the  slope 
toward  Lake  Michigan."  In  many  places  the  lime  rock 
disappears,  and  the  out-cropping  sandstone  furnishes  a 


THE   PINE   LANDS.  227 

fine  material  for  building.  The  region  of  primitive  rock 
lies  north  of  a  line  drawn  from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony 
across  to  Green  Bay;  and  in  that  portion  of  the  state 
between  the  primitive  formation  and  the  limestone  to  the 
south  and  east,  the  transition  sandstone  prevails,  compris- 
ing the  section  drained  by  the  rivers  flowing  south-west- 
erly, and  below  the  falls  in  those  rivers.  In  all  this 
middle  region  are  found  quarries  of  white  marble,  which 
promise  to  be  abundant  and  valuable,  rivaling  those  of 
Vermont. 

Leaving  the  prairies  and  proceeding  northward  up  the 
Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  the  timber  constantly  increases. 
The  surface  of  the  ground  becomes  more  uneven.  Large 
marshes  are  found,  with  a  rank  growth  of  cranberries  and 
wild-rice.  And  still  further  north  and  north-west  is  one 
of  the  finest  tracts  of  pine  land  in  America,  through  which 
the  streams,  tumbling  down  frequent  falls,  afford  an  incal- 
culable amount  of  water-power,  just  where  it  is  most 
needed  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  The  Wisconsin 
forest  of  evergreens  is  perfectly  immense,  covering  fully 
one-third  of  the  state.  The  pineries  of  the  Upper  Wis- 
consin and  its  tributaries  are  at  present  most  exten- 
sive ;  and  those  are  distinguished  still  more  for  the  fine 
quality  than  for  the  inexhaustible  quantities  of  the  timber. 
The  other  localities  of  pine  may  be  reached  by  going  up 
the  Wolf  River,  the  great  northern  affluent  of  Fox  River, 
the  streams  which  pour  into  Green  Bay,  and  the  LaCrosse, 
the  Black,  Chippewa,  and  the  St.  Croix  rivers,  branches 
of  the  Mississippi.  These  are  all  streams  having  swift 
cm-rents,  broken  by  frequent  rapids.  With  the  annual 
floods  and  the  occasional  freshets,  the  yield  of  the  mills 
on  the  Wolf  River  are  floated  down  to  Lake  Winnebago 
and  Green  Bay,  and  on  the  north-western  streams,  to  the 
Mississippi 


228  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Throughout  all  the  west  and  south-west,  the  Wisconsin 
pine  has  taken  the  place  of  all  other  in  the  market.  It  is 
carried  to  Kansas  and  Nebraska ;  it  is  used  throughout 
Missouri  and  Arkansas ;  it  monopolizes  the  market  at 
Natchez  and  New  Orleans ;  it  is  taken  up  the  Tennessee, 
the  Cumberland,  and  the  Green  rivers ;  it  is  carried  east 
by  way  of  the  lakes,  and  south  into  Indiana  and  Illinois. 
"  Scarcely  ten  years  have  elapsed  since  the  Alleghany 
pine  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  had  undisputed  pos- 
session of  the  market,  not  only  of  the  Ohio  valley,  but  of 
the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  above  New  Orleans,  at 
which  point  it  competed  with  the  lumber  of  Maine  and 
New  Brunswick.  The  course  of  the  lumber  trade  may 
now  be  considered  permanently  changed.  The  pineries 
of  Wisconsin  control,  and  will  hold  possession  of  the 
market  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  great 
western  affluents." 

The  amount  of  pine  lumber  estimated  to  be  sawed  in 
Wisconsin,  annually,  is  as  follows  : 

Black  Eiver, 15,000,000  feet. 

Chippewa 28,500,000  " 

Green  Bay 21,000,000  " 

Manitowoc, 24,500,000  " 

St.  Croix, 20,000,000  " 

Wisconsin, 58,500,000  " 

Wolf  River,  25,500,000  " 


Total  number  of  feet,     .     .     .  193,000,000 

And  owing  to  the  great  demand  for  lumber  upon  the 
prairies,  to  the  south  and  south-west,  the  lumbering  busi- 
ness of  Wisconsin  is  increasing  more  rapidly  than  any 
other  in  the  state,  not  excepting  the  mining  for  lead. 


RESOURCES  OF  WISCONSIN.        229 

Aside  from  the  pine  lumber,  a  great  number  of  saw-mills, 
driven  by  both  steam  and  water-power,  are  in  operation 
in  all  parts  of  the  state,  where  timber  is  found,  manufac- 
turing large  quantities  of  oak  scantling  and  plank,  and 
basswood  siding  and  lath. 

Wisconsin,  in  addition  to  its  immense  resources,  has 
one  very  decided  advantage  over  some  of  the  other  west- 
ern states.  It  possesses  a  most  salubrious  climate.  Its 
atmosphere  is  one  of  great  purity.  Every  part  of  the 
state  is  supplied  with  copious,  living  springs.  "  The 
coolness  and  short  duration  of  the  summer,"  says  Mr. 
Lapham,  "  and  the  dryness  of  the  air  during  winter,  con- 
spire to  render  Wisconsin  one  of  the  most  healthy  portions 
of  the  United  States.  The  wet-meadows,  marshes,  and 
swamps,  are  constantly  supplied  with  pure  water  from 
springs  ;  and  as  they  are  not  exposed  during  summer  to 
a  burning  heat,  they  do  not  send  forth  those  noxious  and 
deleterious  qualities  so  much  dreaded  in  more  southern 
and  less  favored  latitudes.  Many  of  our  most  flourishing 
towns  and  settlements  are  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
large  swamps,  and  partially  overflown  meadows ;  yet  no 
injurious  effects  upon  the  general  health  are  produced  by 
them.  It  has  usually  been  found,  in  making  new  settle- 
ments in  the  western  wilderness,  that,  as  the  forests  are 
cleared  away,  and  the  surface  thereby  exposed  to  the 
direct  influence  of  the  sun  and  winds,  a  deleterious  effect 
is  produced  on  the  general  health  —  the  decaying  vegeta- 
ble matter  being  thus  suddenly  made  to  send  forth  its 
malarious  qualities.  But  in  /Wisconsin  no  such  result  is 
apprehended,  or  can  be  produced ;  for  a  large  proportion 
of  the  country  consists  of  oak  openings  and  prairie,  and 
may  therefore  be  considered  as  already  cleaned.  The 
removal  of  the  few  remaining  bur-oaks  can  not  have  the 
same  effect  upon  the  soil  as  the  cutting  down  of  the  d^.nse 


230  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

forests  of  other  states.  And  besides  this,  the  fires  that 
have  annually  raged  over  the  surface  have  prevented 
that  rapid  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter,  which  is 
always  found  in  deep,  shady  woods."  It  is  also  stated 
to  be  the  opinion  of  physicians,  that  Wisconsin  is,  and 
will  continue  to  be,  one  of  the  healthiest  regions  in 
the  world. 

Wisconsin  is  finely  located  for  carrying  on  an  extensive 
commerce,  with  Lake  Michigan  on  the  east  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi on  the  west,  besides  the  Wisconsin  River,  which 
flows  in  a  south-westerly  direction  through  the  heart  of  the 
state.  Its  principal  ports  are  Milwaukie,  Racine,  She- 
boygan,  and  Green  Bay,  on  the  lake,  and  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  Cassville,  on  the  Mississippi. 

Milwaukie  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of  the 
•••ame  name,  ninety  miles  above  Chicago.  The  shore  of 
j^ake  Michigan  consists  of  a  bank  of  clay  from  twenty  to 
one  hundred  feet  htgh,  and  nearly  perpendicular.  The 
harbor  lies  at  the  head  of  a  semi-circular  bay,  six  miles 
across  and  three  miles  deep.  The  bottom  affords  the 
best  anchoring  ground  to  be  found  on  Lake  Michigan. 
In  1850,  the  city  contained  a  population  of  more  than 
twenty  thousand  persons.  During  the  year  1855,  six 
vessels  were  built  at  Milwaukie,  having  an  aggregate 
tonnage  of  twelve  hundred  tons ;  and  at  the  close  of  the 
season  there  were  on  the  stocks  one  propeller  and  five 
vessels,  estimated  to  have  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  thirty  tons.  The  finest  quality 
of  brick  in  the  world  is  manufactured  at  Milwaukie.  In 
and  about  the  city  are  six  extensive  yards,  employing  over 
two  hundred  men,  and  turning  out  upward  of  twenty-six 
million  bricks  annually,  valued  at  nearly  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Of  that  number,  six  and  one-half  mil- 
lions are  exported  to  Chicago  and  other  lake  ports  It8 


EAILEOADS.  231 

external  and  domestic  trade,  and  manufactures,  are  very 
rapidly  on  the  increase. 

Racine  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  Eoot  River.  It  is 
a  flourishing  place,  with  a  good  harbor,  and  has  already 
become  an  important  commercial  point  in  the  state.  The 
Green  Bay,  Milwaukie  &  Chicago  Railroad  passes  through, 
it.  Sheboygan,  at  the  mouth  of  Sbeboygan  River,  is 
rapidly  growing  into  a  place  of  c(  nsidei  able  importance. 
It  is  visited  by  regular  lines  of  steamboats  and  vessels, 
and  is  surrounded  by  a  fertile  and  well  cultivated  country. 
Green  Bay  is  situated  at  the  head  of  Green  Bay,  at  tho 
mouth  of  the  Fox  River.  It  occupies  an  important  loca- 
tion, and  has  an  excellent  harbor.  The  village  stands  on 
a  commanding  eminence.  It  must  become,  in  the  natural 
course  of  events,  a  large  commercial  depot.  Its  popula- 
tion is  about  three  thousand. 

Prairie  du  Chien  is  situated  on  the  Mississippi  River, 
three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin.  The 
prairie  from  which  it  takes  its  name  is  ten  miles  long  and 
three  miles  wide,  and  productive  as  a  garden.  The  pop- 
ulation is  about  three  thousand.  Its  trade  is  very  large, 
and  rapidly  increasing.  There  are  rich  mines  of  copper 
and  lead  in  its  immediate  neighborhood.  Cassville  is 
situated  in  Grant  county,  in  the  midst  of  the  lead  region. 
It  is  one  of  the  principal  places  for  shipping  that  valuable 
metal,  and  for  bringing  in  supplies  for  those  engaged  in 
mining.  It  is  growing  rapidly  in  size  and  in  business. 

Wisconsin  is  laying  down  lines  of  railroad  in  all  direc- 
tions across  the  state.  The  Lake  Shore  road,  from  Chi- 
cago, north,  will  soon  be  completed  to  Green  Bay.  The 
Milwaukie  &  Mississippi  road,  already  opened  to  Madison, 
ninety-seven  miles,  will  be  completed  during  the  season 
of  1856,  to  Prairie  du  Ch'en,  one  hundred  and  ninety -five 
miles.  The  LaCrosse  &  Milwaukie  road,  extending  from 


232  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

the  latter  place  to  the  Upper  Mississippi,  is  open  to 
Beaver  Dam,  sixty-one  miles  from  Milwaukie,  and  is  pro- 
gressing toward  a  speedy  completion.  The  Horicon 
road  branches  off  from  the  LaCrosse  at  Horicon,  and 
will  strike  the  Wisconsin  River  at  Stevens'  Point,  on  the 
route  toward  St.  Paul,  in  Minesota.  A  company  has 
been  organized  to  build  a  road  from  Stevens'  Point  to 
Lake  Superior.  Another  road  will  intersect  the  LaCrosse 
at  Ripon,  and  running  through  Oshkosh,  on  Lake  Winne- 
bago,  will  terminate  at  Green  Bay.  These  roads  are  <U? 
upon  important  lines  of  transportation,  and  some  of  the  last- 
named  will  open  through  the  great  pineries  of  Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin  is  not  behind-hand  in  promoting  education. 
The  school  fund  amounts  to  more  than  half  a  million  dol- 
lars. Seventy  thousand  children  attend  her  common 
schools.  The  value  of  the  school-houses  in  the  state  is 
about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  school-houses 
would  seem  to  vary  some  in  the  value  set  upon  them, 
according  to  the  report  of  the  superintendent  of  public 
instruction,  one  being  valued  at  five  thousand  dollars,  and 
another  at  five  cents.  There  are  also  about  ninety  pri- 
vate or  select  schools,  averaging  seventy-five  pupils  each. 
The  State  University  is  located  at  Madison,  the  capital 
of  the  state,  and  is  well  endowed.  The  Beloit  College  is 
an  older  institution.  Both  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
The  State  Library  contains  over  four  thousand  volumes. 
In  the  state  there  are  thirty-five  libraries,  containing,  in 
all,  about  eight  thousand  volumes. 

Wisconsin  has  a  liberal  homestead  exemption  law, 
securing  to  the  occupant  forty  acres,  together  with  the 
necessary  buildings.  The  statute  would  seem  to  have 
been  copied  from  the  statute  of  Michigan,  being  almost 
precisely  similar  to  it.  The  mechanic's  lien  law  is  more 
liberal  than  in  most  states.  It  is  not  confined  in  its 


EXEMPTION   LAWS.  233 

operation  to  cities,  but  extends  throughout  the  entire 
state,  as  all  such  laws  should  do.  Every  contract  not 
to  be  performed  within  one  year,  and  every  promise  to 
answer  for  the  debt,  default,  or  miscarriage  of  a  third 
person,  and  every  agreement  made  upon  consideration  of 
marriage — except  mutual  promises  to  marry — must  be  in 
writing.  Every  contract  for  the  sale  of  goods  for  the 
price  of  fifty  dollars  or  more,  must  be  in  writing,  and  sub- 
scribed by  the  parties  thereto,  unless  the  buyer  receive 
part  of  the  goods,  or  pay  part  of  the  purchase  money. 

It  is  clear  that  Wisconsin  is  destined  to  become  one 
of  the  most  populous,  enterprising  and  wealthy  states 
in  the  Union.  Her  people  are  steady,  industrious,  and 
loyal.  Having  commercial  intercourse  with  the  east  and 
•with  the  south,  her  influence  will  be  felt  and  respected  in 
the  most  extreme  portions  of  our  common  country. 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  PURCHASE.  235 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IOWA. 

The  Black  Hawk  purchase  —  First  settlements  —  Second  Indian  pur 
chase  —  Reports  of  the  surveyors  —  Erected  into  a  Territory  — 
Garden  of  the  West  —  Constitution  formed  —  Provisions  of  the 
constitution — Refuses  the  terms  of  admission  as  a  state  —  A  new 
constitution  —  Admission  as  a  state  —  Length  and  breadth  of  the 
state  —  Population  —  Number  of  dwellings  and  families  —  Number 
of  counties —  Amount  of  unimproved  lands  —  Excess  of  male  pop- 
ulation —  Source  of  emigration  —  Most  populous  counties  —  Land 
speculations  —  Advantageous  geographical  position  —  General  ap- 
pearance of  the  state  —  Agricultural  condition  and  resources  — 
Coal-fields  —  Limestone  —  Cedar  Valley  —  Soil  —  Minerals  — Com- 
merce —  Shipping  ports  —  Capital  of  Iowa  —  Iowa  City  —  Rail- 
roads —  Advantage  to  settlers  —  Public  institutions. 

IOWA  had  attracted  the  attention  of  emigrants  about 
the  same  time  with  Wisconsin.  The  region  of  country  to 
the  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  easily  accessible ;  for  the 
settlers  from  the  south  could  ascend  that  river ;  those  from 
the  east  could  float  down  the  Ohio.  Settlements,  however, 
in  that  direction,  had  met  with  a  sudden  and  terrible  check, 
upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  1829, 
which  for  three  years  had  laid  waste  all  the  north-western 
portions  of  Illinois.  But  at  the  close  of  that  period,  Black 
Hawk,  utterly  routed,  driven  from  Wisconsin  Territory, 
had  retired  to  the  distant  border  of  Missouri,  and  there, 
upon  the  head-waters  of  the  Iowa  River,  he  had  made 
overtures  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities.  In  September, 
1832,  a  treaty  of  peace  had  been  concluded  between  the 
discomfited  savages  and  the  United  States,  by  which  it 
•was  provided  that  the  Indians  should  relinquish  nearly  all 


236  THE   GREAT  WEST! 

the  lands  from  the  Mississippi  westward,  for  fifty  miles, 
between  the  DCS  Moines  River  on  the  south  and  the  Yel- 
low River  on  the  north.  That  cession  comprised  not  less 
than  one-third  part  of  the  present  State  of  Iowa,  and 
became  known,  subsequently,  as  the  "Black  Hawk  Pur- 
chase." By  the  treaty,  it  was  stipulated  that  the  Indians 
should  retire  from  the  ceded  lands  as  early  as  the  month 
of  June  of  the  next  year. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  Black  Hawk  Purchase  was 
made  in  the  fall  of  1832,  at  Fort  Madison,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, just  above  the  mouth  of  the  Des  Moines  River,  by 
Zachariah  Hawkins  and  Benjamin  Jennings.  Three  years 
afterward,  the  town  was  regularly  laid  out,  and  the  lots 
exposed  for  sale.  From  that  time,  Fort  Madison  con- 
tinued to  grow  rapidly;  and  in  1838,  the  beautiful  grounds 
contained  a  thriving  village  of  nearly  six  hundred 
inhabitants. 

The  next  year  after  Fort  Madison,  another  settlement 
was  begun  at  Burlington,  seventy-nine  miles  below  Rock 
Island,  by  Morton  M.  M'Carver  and  Sampson  S.  White, 
while  the  land  was  still  in  the  occupancy  of  the  Indians. 
At  the  same  time,  two  stores  were  opened  there  by  Dr. 
W.  R.  Ross  and  Jeremiah  Smith,  each  "well  supplied 
with  western  merchandise."  In  less  than  four  years, 
Burlington  had  become  the  seat  of  government  for  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin,  of  which  Iowa  was  then  a  dis- 
trict; and  three  years  later,  it  contained  a  population  of 
fourteen  hundred  persons. 

Also,  in  1833,  the  city  of  Dubuque,  situated  on  the 
Mississippi,  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  above  St. 
Louis,  received  its  first  Anglo-American  inhabitants; 
and  so  rapid  was  its  growth,  that,  in  seven  years  after- 
ward, it  had  become  a  rich  commercial  town,  of  about 
fifteen  hundred  persons.  Dubuque  received  its  name  in 


FIRST    SETTLEMENTS.  237 

honor  of  Julien  Dubuque,  the  early  proprietor  of  the 
"  Mines  of  Spain,"  upon  the  Upper  Mississippi.  A  Can- 
adian by  birth,  Dubuque  had  visited  the  lead  region  in 
1786.  Exploring  its  mineral  resources,  he  had  succeeded 
in  obtaining  from  the  Indians  a  grant  of  a  tract  of  land, 
comprising  about  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  acres, 
upon  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  Dubuque  had  acquired 
great  wealth  from  his  mining  operations.  He  died  in 
1810.  His  monument  may  be  seen,  about  one  mile  below 
the  city,  on  a  high  bluff. 

In  1835,  the  town  of  Salem  was  settled  by  Aaron  Street, 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  It  was  upon  the 
extreme  frontier  of  the  Black  Hawk  Purchase,  and  consti- 
tuted the  first  Quaker  settlement  in  Iowa.  Five  years 
afterward,  the  colony  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem  numbered 
one  thousand  persons,  many  of  them  aged  patriarchs, 
surrounded  by  their  descendants  to  the  third  and  fourth 
generations.  Many  other  settlements  of  less  note  had 
also  been  springing  up  along  the  Mississippi. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  in  1836,  the  region  of  country  west,  of  the 
Mississippi  was  included  within  it,  under  the  name  of 
the  District  of  Iowa,  comprising  but  two  counties  —  the 
county  of  Dubuque  and  the  county  of  Des  Moines  —  which 
together  contained  ten  thousand  five  hundred  and  thirty- 
one  inhabitants.  In  a  little  while,  the  District  of  Iowa 
had  become  noted  throughout  the  West  for  its  extraor- 
dinary beauty  and  fertility,  and  the  great  advantages 
which  it  afforded  to  agricultural  •  enterprise.  The  first 
Black  Hawk  Purchase  was  speedily  overrun  by  emigrants, 
who  were  advancing  upon  the  Indian  country  beyond.  A 
new  treaty,  in  1837,  had  to  be  negotiated  with  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes,  by  which  they  consented  to  the  further 
extension  of  the  western  boundary,  so  as  to  include  the 


238  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

principal  sources  of  the  Iowa  River,  opening  a  magnificent 
region  to  the  progress  of  settlements.  Emigration  con- 
tinued to  augment  the  population.  Land-offices  were 
established  at  Dubuque  and  Burlington.  The  surveyors 
reported  "the  lands"  to  consist  of  "a  beautiful,  fertile, 
healthy,  undulating  region,  interspersed  with  groves  and 
prairies,  abounding  in  springs  of  pure  water,  with  numer- 
ous streams  flowing  through  a  soil  abounding  with  lime- 
stone of  divers  varieties,  and  other  kind  of  rock,  and 
some  coal." 

Before  the  close  of  1838,  the  counties  of  Dubuque  and 
Des  Moines  had  been  broken  up  into  sixteen  counties, 
having  in  the  aggregate  a  population  of  more  than  twenty 
thousand  souls,  widely  distributed  throughout  those  poj-- 
tions  of  the  district  to  which  the  Indian  title  had  been 
extinguished.  In  the  meantime,  on  the  fourth  of  July 
of  that  year,  Iowa,  having  been  erected  into  a  territory, 
had  become  separated  from  Wisconsin.  The  first  gov- 
ernor of  the  territory  of  Iowa  was  Robert  Lucas,  form- 
erly governor  of  Ohio.  James  Clark  was  appointed 
secretary.  Augustus  C.  Dodge  was  elected  by  the  people 
to  represent  them  in  Congress.  The  territory,  as  first 
organized,  comprised  "all  that  region  of  country  north  of 
Missouri,  which  lies  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and 
of  a  line  drawn  due  north  from  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sippi to  the  northern  limit  of  the  United  States." 

The  first  general  assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa, 
with  a  strong  conviction  of  the  certainty  of  the  growth 
of  the  future  state,  proceeded  to  make  provision  for  the 
seat  of  government,  and  ordained  that  it  should  spring  up 
in  the  wilderness.  "  On  the  first  day  of  May,  1839,  the 
beautiful  spot  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Iowa, 
was  within  the  Indian  hunting-grounds,  from  which  the 
tribes  had  not  then  retired,  and  within  twenty  miles  of  the 


GARDEN   OF   THE   WEST.  239 

new  Indian  boundary,  and  fifty-two  miles  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River.  On  the  fourth,  it  was  selected  by  the 
commissioners  as  the  site  of  the  future  state  capital.  On 
the  first  clay  of  July,  the  survey  of  the  city  was  com- 
menced, upon  a  scale  of  magnificence  rarely  equaled. 
The  streets  and  avenues  were  wide,  and  spacious  lots  and 
squares  were  designated  for  the  public  use ;  and  the  city 
of  Iowa  commenced.  Twelve  months  afterward,  it  con- 
tained a  population  of  seven  hundred  persons. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  territory  continued  to  increase 
in  number  with  astonishing  rapidity.  The  Mississippi 
was  crowded  with  steamers  ascending  to  the  north,  and 
vast  fleets  were  plowing  the  lakes  westward,  loaded  with 
emigrants  bound  for  the  distant  Garden  of  the  West. 
The  growth  of  the  settlements  in  Iowa  is  unprecedented 
in  the  history  of  colonization.  That  territory  was  out- 
stripping its  former  yoke-fellow  upon  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  river.  According  to  the  census  of  1840,  the  popula- 
tion of  Iowa  Territory  was  forty-three  thousand  and 
seventeen  persons ;  that  of  Wisconsin,  thirty  thousand 
nine  hundi'ed  and  forty-five  persons.  Foreign  immigrants 
kept  on  coming  into  the  territory,  but  not  nearly  so  rapidly 
as  into  Wisconsin.  The  far  greater  portion  of  the  settlers 
came  from  the  other  western  states,  and  from  the  middle 
states.  Internal  navigation  throughout  the  north,  by 
means  of  the  lakes  and  canals,  had  become  so  much  per- 
fected, that  population,  for  many  years,  continued  to  flow 
toward  the  far  west  in  one  continuous  stream. 

The  number  of  the  inhabitants  had  become  augmented 
to  such  a  degree  that,  with  the  permission  of  Congress,  a 
convention  assembled  in  1844;  and  on  the  seventh  day  of 
October  it  adopted  a  constitution  for  the  proposed  State 
of  Iowa.  Iowa  was  the  fourth  state  organized  within  the 
limits  of  the  province  of  Louisiana.  The  constitution 


240  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

•was  strongly  democratic.  It  not  only  provided  for  an 
elective  judiciary,  but  all  officers,  civil  and  military,  were 
to  be  elected  by  the  people.  The  legislature  was  pro- 
hibited from  creating  any  debt  in  the  name  of  the  state, 
exceeding  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  But  the  people 
of  Iowa,  numbering  about  ninety  thousand  persons,  were 
doomed  to  disappointment  in  the  contemplated  change  of 
government.  The  constitution  which  they  had  adopted 
never  went  into  operation ;  and  they  remained  two  years 
longer  in  a  condition  of  territorial  dependence.  The  diffi- 
culty between  the  state  and  the  federal  government  grew 
out  of  the  territorial  limits  which  Iowa  had  assumed  to 
herself;  —  Congress,  having  approved  of  the  proposed  con- 
stitution, by  the  act  of  the  third  day  of  March,  1845, 
provided  for  the  admission  of  Iowa  simultaneously  with 
Florida;  but  with  the  condition  attached,  that  the  people 
of  the  former  territory,  at  the  next  general  election, 
should  assent  to  the  territorial  limits  imposed  by  Con- 
gress. The  object  of  the  condition  was  to  reduce  Iowa, 
so  as  to  make  it  conform  with  the  general  area  of  the 
other  western  states.  But  the  people  refused  to  ratify  the 
proposed  limits,  and  they  rejected  the  terms  of  admission 
by  a  majority  of  two  thousand.  Iowa,  however,  at  last 
yielded,  and,  in  1846,  through  its  legislature,  signified  its 
acquiescence  in  the  terms  which  had  been  prescribed.  A 
second  convention  was  accordingly  authorized,  and  the 
new  constitution  having  also  been  approved,  the  State  of 
Iowa  was  admitted  into  the  Union  on  the  third  day  of 
December. 

The  greatest  length  of  the  state,  from  east  to  west,  is 
three  hundred  miles;  and  its  breadth,  one  hundred  and 
ninety -six  miles,  with  an  area  of  about  fifty -one  thousand 
square  miles.  In  1850,  the  population  numbered  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fourteen 


POPULATION.  241 

persons.  The  number  of  dwellings  in  the  state  was 
about  thirty -three  thousand ;  and  of  families,  thirty -three 
thousand  five  hundred.  Iowa,  at  that  time,  contained 
forty-nine  counties ;  but  since  the  census  of  1850  was  taken, 
Pottawatamie  county  has  been  broken  up  into  forty-nine 
additional  counties,  so  that  the  number  is  now  ninety-nine. 
The  number  of  farms  under  cultivation,  at  that  time,  in 
the  whole  state,  was  fourteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
five,  containing  in  all  about  nine  hundred  thousand  acres. 
There  were  ten  thousand  more  males  than  females  in  the 
state.  Of  the  entire  population,  a  little  over  five  thou- 
sand persons  came  from  New  England ;  New  York,  eight 
thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty -four;  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania,  together,  sixteen  thousand;  Delaware  and 
South  Carolina,  each  about  five  thousand ;  Maryland,  two 
thousand ;  Virginia,  eight  thousand ;  Tennessee  and  Ken- 
tucky, thirteen  thousand ;  Ohio,  thirty-one  thousand ;  In- 
diana, twenty  thousand;  Illinois  and  Missouri,  eleven 
thousand.  The  foreign  population  consisted  of  nearly 
four  thousand  English,  five  thousand  Irish,  and  over  seven 
thousand  Germans,  and  two  thousand  Canadians. 

The  most  populous  counties  are  as  follows,  viz :  Lee, 
Van  Buren,  Des  Moines,  Dubuque,  Jefferson,  Henry, 
Wapello,  Davis,  Jackson,  Muscatine,  Scott,  Marion,  Ma- 
haska,  Linn,  Louisa,  Keokuk,  Polk,  Washington,  John- 
son, Clayton,  Cedar,  and  Appanoose.  The  western  and 
north-western  parts  of  the  state,  though  increasing  in 
population,  are,  as  yet,  but  thinly  inhabited.  Speculation 
in  the  lands  of  Iowa  has  run  very  high,  and,  in  many  of 
the  newer  regions,  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  choicest 
lands  has  been  taken  up  by  non-residents.  The  land- 
offices,  for  weeks  at  a  time,  have  been  thronged  with 
anxious  buyers,  crowding  and  pressing  upon  one  another 
at  the  doors  and  windows,  to  enter  their  selections. 
11  P 


242  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  everybody  should  desire 
to  own  lands  in  Iowa.  Its  position,  soil,  climate,  and  re- 
sources, indicate  that  it  will,  one  day,  take  rank  among 
the  first  states  in  the  Union.  "  Situated  nearly  midway 
between  the  two  great  oceans ;  bounded  on  both  sides  by 
the  great  rivers  of  the  continent,  and  watered  by  innu- 
merable smaller  streams :  possessing  a  fertile  soil,  inex- 
haustible mineral  resources,  a  healthful  climate,  a  free 
constitution,  and  a  hardy,  industrious  population,  the 
State  of  Iowa  has  commenced  its  career  with  prospects 
of  far  more  than  ordinary  brilliancy.  In  extent  of  bound- 
ary, it  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Union;  and  it  may 
safely  be  prophesied  that,  with  these  great  advantages,  it 
is  destined,  at  no  distant  day,  to  rank  among  the  first  in 
point  of  wealth  and  political  importance,  as  it  already 
exceeds  its  compeers  in  rapidity  of  growth." 

The  general  appearance  of  Iowa  is  that  of  a  high, 
rolling  prairie,  watered  by  magnificent  streams  of  the 
clearest  water,  flowing  over  pebbly  and  rocky  beds. 
Interspersed,  throughout  the  whole  region,  are  beautiful 
groves  of  oak ;  and  the  river  bottoms,  and  the  margins  of 
the  smaller  streams,  are  mostly  covered  with  a  dense- and 
thrifty  growth  of  timber.  Iowa  contains  a  smaller  quan- 
tity of  "poor  land"  than  any  other  state  in  the  Union. 
Upon  traveling  through  the  state,  the  eye  is  everywhere 
greeted  with  a  succession  of  the  finest  landscapes  in  the 
world.  The  inland  scenery  is  surpassingly  beautiful. 
Iowa  contains  a  great  number  of  little  lakes,  set  like 
crystals  in  the  surface  —  clear  and  limpid — with  gravelly 
bottoms  and  shores.  Mostly  the  lake-margins  are  tim- 
bered ;  but  sometimes  the  green-sward  will  be  found 
sloping  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water. 

Iowa  owes  its  present  prosperous  condition  to  its  agri- 
cultural resources.  It  is  indeed  true,  that  the  timbered 


AGRICULTURAL   RESOURCES.  243 

lands  in  the  state  are  less  extensive  than  the  prairies; 
but  the  timber  is  so  uniformly  and  equally  distributed,  so 
easily  accessible,  that  no  reasonable  objection  can  be 
taken  to  the  openness  of  the  country.  The  greatest 
scarcity  of  trees  is  north  of  42°.  "For  all  agricultural 
purposes,  Iowa  is  perhaps  as  fine  a  region  as  ever  the 
sun  cherished  by  its  beams." 

The  valleys  of  the  Red  Cedar,  Iowa,  and  Des  Moines, 
(we  quote  Owen's  Geological  Report,)  as  high  as  latitude 
42°,  or  42°  30',  present  a  body  of  arable  lands,  which, 
taken  as  a  whole,  for  richness  in  organic  elements,  for 
amount  of  saline  matter,  and  due  admixture  of  earthy 
silicates,  afford  a  combination  that  belong  only  to  the  most 
fertile  upland  plains.  After  passing  latitude  42°  30',  near 
the  confines  of  the  Coteau  Des  Prairies,  a  desolate,  knolly 
country  commences,  the  highlands  being  covered  with 
gravel,  and  supporting  a  scanty  vegetation  ;  while  the  low 
grounds  are  either  wet  or  marshy,  or  filled  with  numerous 
ponds  or  lakes,  and  where  the  eye  roves  in  vain  in  search 
of  timber.  North  of  41°  30',  and  between  the  head- 
waters of  the  Grand,  Nodaway,  and  Nishnabotona  rivers, 
the  soil  is  inferior  in  quality  to  that  south  of  the  same 
parallel. 

The  staples  of  this  state  are  Indian  corn,  wheat,  and 
live  stock,  besides  considerable  quantities  of  oats,  rye, 
buckwheat,  barley,  Irish  potatoes,  butter,  cheese,  hay, 
wool,  maple-sugar,  beeswax,  and  honey  ;  and  some  rice, 
tobacco,  beans,  peas,  sweet  potatoes,  orchard  fruit,  wine, 
grass,  seeds,  hops,  flax,  and  silk  are  produced.  The  prin- 
'cipal  articles  of  export  are  grain,  flour,  lead,  pork,  and 
live  stock.  In  the  year  1852-3,  57,500  hogs  were  packed 
in  Iowa,  and  45,060  in  1853-4. 

The  most  important  mineral  of  Iowa  is  coal.  The 
coal-field  is  of  prodigious  extent,  of  remarkable  thickness 


244  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

and  lies  quite  near  the  surface.  Coming  into  the  state 
across  the  southern  border,  it  stretches  broadly  off  to  tho 
north,  for  more  than  one  hundred  and  forty  miles ;  and  in 
length,  from  east  to  west,  it  is  over  two  hundred  miles. 
The  coal-field  of  Iowa,  therefore,  underlies  an  area  of 
about  twenty-five  thousand  square  miles.  The  beds  of 
coal  have  been  estimated,  by  geologists,  to  be  of  the 
average  thickness  of  one  hundred  feet. 

The  principal  limestone  regions  of  the  state  are  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Cedar  and  Iowa  rivers.  In  the  former 
valley,  the  limestone,  commencing  along  the  Mississippi, 
for  thirty  miles  in  width,  between  the  head  of  Rock  Rapids 
and  the  town  of  Wyoming,  sweeps,  with  a  north-westerly 
curve,  up  Cedar  River,  varying  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
miles  in  width  ;  till,  in  latitude  forty-three,  it  disappears 
under  the  drift  of  northern  Iowa.  The  rock  appears 
mostly  in  low  ledges  near  the  water-courses.  On  the 
Shell  Rock,  an  eastern  branch  of  the  Cedar  River,  near 
the  head  of  the  latter,  is  a  bold  bluff  of  limestone,  stand- 
ing high  above  the  bottom,  and  at  right-angles  with  the 
stream.  The  country  around  is  exceedingly  picturesque, 
diversified  with  gentle  swells  of  ground,  groves  of  oak, 
and  meandering  streams.  Cedar  Valley  is  plentifully 
supplied  with  timber;  but  it  contains  no  such  dense 
forests  as  originally  grew  upon  the  river-banks  of  Indiana 
and  Ohio.  The  soil  is  stiff,  dark,  calcareous,  exceedingly 
strong  and  deep,  richer  and  more  retentive  than  that 
over  the  coal-fields.  On  the  whole,  Cedar  Valley  may  be 
regarded  as  the  finest  portion  of  the  state. 

The  Iowa  River,  also,  flows  through  a  limestone  region ; 
but  the  out-croppings  of  the  rock  are  not,  in  general,  so 
marked  and  distinct  as  along  the  Cedar  River;  nor  is  the 
valley  so  uniformly  supplied  with  timber.  In  the  elbows 
of  the  river  are  timbered  bottoms ;  and,  spreading  off  each 


SOIL  —  MINERALS.  245 

way,  are  openings,  with  gentle  swells  of  ground,  from 
seventy  to  one  hundred  feet  in  hight ;  furnishing  capital 
building  sites,  and  delightful  farms,  within  reach  of  both 
water  and  wood.  The  soil  is  similar,  though  slightly 
lighter,  than  that  of  Cedar  Valley.  There  is  but  little 
choice  between  the  two  streams  for  desirable  locations. 

The  rich,  black  soil  of  the  prairies,  and  the  lightly-tim- 
bered openings,  which  are  found  chiefly  over  the  coal- 
field, throughout  the  southern  portion  of  the  state,  is 
rather  sandy  and  porous,  but  warm  and  quick,  forcing 
vegetation  rapidly,  particularly  early  in  the  season.  Crops 
there,  however,  are  liable  to  suffer  from  the  droughts  of 
summer ;  and  the  higher  grounds  are  generally  gravelly. 
Notwithstanding  that,  the  soil  is  considered  to  be  equally 
advantageous,  as  it  is  adapted  to  all  kinds  of  agricultural 
pursuits.  The  prairie-sod,  matted  and  deep-rooted,  usu- 
ally requires  from  six  to  eight  yoke  of  oxen  effectually  to 
break  it,  up.  The  second  year,  it  will  have  become  rotted, 
and  the  surface  of  the  fields  will  be  mellow,  and  free 
from  stone. 

Iowa  is  justly  numbered  among  the  great  mineral-pro- 
ducing states  of  the  Union.  In  addition  to  its  coal,  the 
lead  mines  in  the  north-east,  of  which  Dubuque  is  the 
center,  have  been  worked  for  three-quarters  of  a  century, 
and  have  been  productive  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
persons  engaged  in  mining.  The  mines  are  contiguous 
to  those  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  being  separated  from 
them  only  by  the  breadth  of  the  Mississippi.  Dr.  Owen — 
who  made  a  geological  survey  of  this  region  —  upon  a 
review  of  its  resources  and  capabilities,  says,  that  ten 
thousand  miners  and  laborers  could  find  profitable  em- 
ployment within  its  confines.  The  mines  furnish  as  much 
of  that  desirable  metal  as  the  whole  continent  of  Europe; 
and  there  would  seem  to  be  no  end  to  the  quantities  of 


246  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

the  ore.  Zinc,  also,  occurs  in  the  fissures  of  the  lead- 
bearing  rock ;  and  it  sometimes  appears  in  cellular  masses. 
Iron  ore  has  been  found  abundantly  distributed  through- 
out the  state ;  but  as  yet  no  large  amount  has  been 
converted  into  metal. 

The  three  states,  Ohio,  Wisconsin,  and  Iowa,  might 
produce  sufficient  iron  to  supply  all  America  for  ages. 
At  the  present  time,  instead  of  working  and  patronizing 
our  own  native  mines,  the  people  are  largely  engaged  in 
importing  iron  from  abroad,  enriching  Sweden  and  Eng- 
land at  the  expense  of  the  Great  West.  It  would  seem 
to  be  a  pity  that  it  should  be  deemed  the  policy  of  the 
United  States  to  bring  railroad  iron,  for  instance,  across 
three  thousand  miles  of  ocean,  exposed  to  the  lightnings 
ef  heaven  and  the  tumbling  billows  of  the  deep,  and  lay 
it  down  over  the  ore  beds  of  the  infant  states  of  the  west, 
crippling  their  energies,  and  restraining  the  development 
of  their  resources. 

Iowa  is  finely  situated  with  respect  to  inland  commerce 
and  navigation.  On  the  map,  the  state  presents  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  upheld  between  the  two  principal  rivers 
of  the  continent.  The  Mississippi  forms  the  eastern 
boundary,  throughout  its  windings,  for  nearly  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles.  On  the  west,  the  Missouri,  from 
above  latitude  forty  to  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Sioux  River, 
washes  the  confines  of  the  state  for  more  than  three 
hundred  miles ;  so  that  both  sides  of  Iowa  are  furnished 
with  equal  facilities  for  external  commerce,  and  many 
fine  sites  for  flourishing  cities.  The  Des  Moines  River  is 
the  great  central  artery  of  the  state.  It  enters  Iowa  from 
the  north,  and,  flowing  south-east  for  four  hundred  miles, 
empties  into  the  Mississippi  at  the  foot  of  the  lower 
rapids.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  noble 
rivers  of  the  west,  having  a  rock  bottom,  and  high  banks, 


SHIPPING    PORTS.  247 

which  are  not  subject  to  overflow.  It  passes  through 
the  great  coal-field,  and  through  a  country  of  surpassing 
fertility.  The  state  has  undertaken  to  render  it  naviga- 
ble for  steamboats  of  a  medium  size,  to  Fort  Des  Moines, 
two  hundred  miles  above  its  mouth.  Beside  those  three 
great  rivers,  there  are  many  smaller  ones  —  the  Iowa 
River,  the  Skunk  River,  Wapsipinicon,  Makoqueta,  and 
the  Turkey  River,  and  numerous  other  streams,  affluents 
of  the  Missouri.  Most  of  these  streams  are  navigable 
from  twenty  to  sixty  miles,  and,  with  their  branches,  fur 
nish  an  abundance  of  water-power.  Many  of  them  pass 
over  limestone  or  sandstone  beds,  and  they  are  generally 
skirted  with  timber. 

The  principal  shipping  ports  are  Keokuk,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Des  Moines ;  Fort  Madison,  just  above,  on  the 
Mississippi,  two  hundred  and  forty-eight  miles  from  St. 
Louis ;  Muscatine  City,  thirty-two  miles  below  Daven- 
port; Davenport,  one  hundred  miles  below  Galena,  and 
three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  above  St.  Louis.  It  is 
situated  opposite  Rock  Island,  and  is  connected  by  rail- 
road with  Chicago,  and  another  line  is  projected  westward 
to  Council  Bluffs.  Also  Lyons,  Bellevue,  and  Dubuque. 
The  annual  value  of  the  commerce  of  Keokuk  is  estimat- 
ed as  high  as  seven  million  dollars.  It  is  the  principal 
port  of  the  entire  Des  Moines  Valley,  in  which  more  than 
half  the  population  and  agricultural  wealth  of  the  state 
is  concentrated.  The  city  stands  upon  a  high  limestone 
bluff,  which  affords  inexhaustible  supplies  of  building 
stone.  It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  lower  rapids'  of 
the  Mississippi,  which  are  eleven  miles  in  length ;  and  in 
that  distance  the  water  falls  twenty -four  feet.  At  low 
stages  of  the  river  upward-bound  boats  have  to  unload 
at  Keokuk,  and  their  cargoes  are  taken  over  the  rapids 
on  lighters. 


248  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

The  present  capital  of  Iowa  is  Fort  Des  Moines ;  which 
is  finely  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Des  Moines 
River,  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  center  of  the  state,  and 
one  hundred  and  nine  miles  west  of  Iowa  City.  A  large 
branch  of  the  river  comes  in  just  below  Fort  Des  Moines, 
and  opens  a  communication  with  some  of  the  western 
counties,  while  the  Des  Moines  extends  up  beyond  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  state.  The  railroad  in  contem- 
plation from  Davenport  to  Council  Bluffs,  passes  through 
Fort  Des  Moines,  and  several  other  lines  center  in  there. 
It  is  a  place  of  great  business  facilities,  surrounded  by  a 
delightful  and  exceedingly  fertile  country,  with  a  good 
supply  of  water-power  in  its  vicinity  for  manufacturing 
purposes.  A  land-office  is  situated  there,  besides  other 
public  buildings ;  and  the  crowd  of  emigrants  in  the  streets 
gives  it  a  business-like  appearance. 

Iowa  City  is  destined  to  be  one  of  the  most  attractive 
cities  in  America.  It  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Iowa  River,  fifty-two  miles  from  the  Mississippi,  sixty- 
three  miles  from  Burlington,  fifty-one  miles  from  Daven- 
port, and  seventy  miles  from  Dubuque.  The  river  is 
navigable  to  Iowa  City  at  all  stages  of  the  water,  and 
regular  lines  of  steamboats  ascend  and  descend  it  daily. 
Railroads  are  centering  toward  it  from  all  the  ports  on 
the  Mississippi,  to  unite  and  stretch  out  from  thence  to 
Council  Bluffs  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  A  grand  chain  of 
railroads,  north  and  south,  will  pass  through  it,  connect- 
ing St.  Louis  with  the  great  upland  prairies  of  Minesota ; 
and  the  last  few  miles  of  railroad  are  now  being  com- 
pleted between  Iowa  City  and  Portland,  in  the  State  of 
Maine ;  and  before  the  season  of  1856  will  have  drawn  to 
a  close,  a  continuous  track  will  exist  between  those  places, 
one  thousand  four  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles  distant 
from  each  other — the  largest  line  of  railroad  on  the  globe. 


ADVANTAGES   TO    SETTLERS.  249 

The  surface  of  the  ground,  at  Iowa  City,  rises  from  the 
margin  of  the  river  in  three  successive  plateaux  :  the  first 
is  about  one  hundred  yards  in  width,  and  has  been  de- 
voted to  a  public  promenade ;  the  second  plain  is  about 
twelve  feet  higher  than  the  first;  and  the  third,  eighteen 
feet  above  the  second.  On  these  two  beautiful  natural 
elevations  the  city  is  built.  The  principal  avenues, 
nearly  two  hundred  feet  wide,  run  along  the  brows  of  the 
plateaux,  and  are  intersected  by  Iowa  Avenue — a  magnifi- 
cent street,  ascending,  one  after  another,  these  eminences, 
and  reaching  to -the  open  prairie. 

There  are  many  reasons  which  should  influence  the 
emigrant  to  settle  in  Iowa ;  and  not  the  least  important 
is  the  acknowledged  salubrity  of  the  climate.  The  state 
is  not  exempt  from  those  diseases  incident  to  rich,  luxu- 
riant, and  uncultivated  soils;  but  from  the  openness  of  the 
landscape,  warmed  with  sunshine,  fanned  with  breezes,  it 
is  less  liable  to  the  scourge  of  malaria  than  most  new 
countries.  The  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  is  far 
more  uniform  than  upon  the  Atlantic  coast.  It  is  exempt, 
too,  from  those  chilling,  piercing  easterly  winds,  so  with- 
ering to  the  consumptive.  The  air  breathes  over  the 
elevated  plains  as  regularly  and  as  refreshing  as  from  the 
ocean  between  the  tropics,  tempering  the  extremes  inci- 
dent to  the  high  northern  latitude. 

Iowa  has  made  noble  provision  for  her  public  schools. 
All  lands  granted  by  Congress  to  the  state,  all  escheated  < 
lands,  and  such  per  centage  as  may  be  granted  on  the 
sale  of  the  public  lands,  constitute  a  perpetual  fund  for 
the  support  of  schools.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  the  legis- 
lature to  provide,  in  each  district,  a  school,  for  at  least 
three  months  in  each  year.  All  moneys  received  as  a 
commutation  instead  of  military  duty,  and  moneys  derived 
from  fines  imposed  by  the  courts,  are  devoted  to  the  same 
11* 


250  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

purpose,  or  for  the  establishment  of  school  libraries.  The 
school  fund  amounts  to  nearly  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  A  State  University,  amply  endowed,  has  been 
located  at  Iowa  City.  The  State  Library  contains  about 
three  thousand  volumes. 

There  are  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  churches  in  the 
state,  accommodating  about  thirty-eight  thousand  per- 
sons. Of  the  religious  denominations,  the  Methodist  is 
the  most  numerous;  next  the  Presbyterian;  then  the  Ro- 
man Catholic,  the  Baptist,  and  the  Congregationalists. 

Iowa,  in  every  respect,  is  an  important  member  of  the 
Union.  In  its  extent  of  surface,  climate,  productions, 
commercial  position,  institutions,  and  the  enterprising 
spirit  of  the  inhabitants,  it  promises  soon  to  compete  with 
the  older  states  in  everything  which  will  tend  to  promote 
the  prosperity  of  a  great  people. 


EXPLORATIONS   OF  THE  UPPER  MISSISSIPPI.     253 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

MINESOTA    TERRITORY. 

Explorations  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  —  Location  of  the  Territory  — 
"  The  New  England  of  the  West " —  Territorial  boundary  —  Laws  — 
Counties —  Population  —  Nature  of  the  population  —  Crops  — Gen- 
eral surface  of  the  territory  —  Geology  —  Above  Crow  Whig  River — 
Chalk  formation  —  James  River  —  Buffalo  pasture-ground  —  Big 
Sioux  River  —  Red  pipe-stone  quarry — St.  Peters  River  —  Bottom 
lands  —  Blue  Earth  River  —  St.  Peters  Valley  —  The  paradise  of 
farmers  —  Lake  Pepin  —  Terror  of  the  lumbermen  of  the  north  — 
Timber  —  Wild  rice  —  Soil  and  its  products  —  The  Red  River  of 
the  North' —  Springs  and  lakes  —  Minesota  the  artesian  fountain 
of  the  continent  —  Underground  hydraulic  power  —  Boiling 
springs  —  Magnificent  forest  —  Destiny  of  Minesota  —  Indian  sum- 
mers—  Manner  of  perfecting  a  squatter's  title  —  St.  Paul — Table 
of  distances  from  Galena  to  St.  Paul  —  Rates  of  fare. 

THE  Mississippi  River  extends,  in  a  direct  line,  through 
nineteen  degrees  of  latitude.  Nine  states  and  one  terri- 
tory are  watered  by  its  magnificent  stream.  The  great 
valley,  which  slopes  from  the  east  and  from  the  west  to 
the  banks  of  that  river,  is  barely  cultivated  sufficiently  to 
afford  an  indication  of  its  vast  capabilities.  The  lower 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  explored  nearly  three 
hundred  years  before  any  white  man  ever  stood  upon  the 
sources  of  its  exhaustless  tide.  Countless  steamboats 
were  stemming  the  torrent,  for  a  distance  of  two  thousand 
mile??,  while  yet  the  region  whence  it  emanated  was  as 
unknown  as  the  interior  of  Ethiopia.  Lieutenant  Zebulon 
Montgomery  Pike,  with  a  military  expedition,  in  1805, 
ascended  the  Mississippi  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 


254  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

above  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony ;  but  he  had  set  out  late 
in  the  season,  and  the  snows  and  ice  compelled  him  to 
delay,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  block-house  and 
securing  his  stores.  Tramping  about  in  the  winter  on 
snow-shoes  did  not  afford  him  much  opportunity  for 
examining  the  country.  With  the  spring,  his  expedition 
had  returned. 

In  1820,  another  expedition,  which  had  been  projected 
by  Governor  Cass,  of  Michigan,  left  Detroit  in  a  fleet  of 
birch-bark  canoes,  and,  passing  up  through  Lake  Superior, 
crossed  over  the  country  between  the  St.  Louis  River  and 
the  Sandy  Lake,  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  from 
thence  explored  the  river  as  high  as  the  Cass  Lake. 
Twelve  years  afterward  a  third  expedition,  commencing 
its  explorations  at  Cass  Lake,  followed  up  the  channel  of 
the  river,  through  all  its  windings  and  lakes,  to  its  source 
in  Itasca  Lake.  The  last  two  expeditions  were  fortu- 
nately accompanied  by  an  intelligent  chronicler  of  their 
adventures,  in  the  person  of  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft,  to 
whose  narratives  the  public  is  indebted  for  much  of  the 
knowledge  which  it  possessed  of  those  distant  regions. 

Upon  the  head-waters  of  the  Mississippi  and  of  the  Red 
River  of  the  North  lies  the  territory  of  Minesota,  extend- 
ing from  Iowa  to  the  British  possessions,  and  from  Lake 
Superior  to  the  Missouri  River.  The  most  accurate  infor- 
mation concerning  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  various 
portions  of  the  territory  is  derived  from  the  geological 
surveys  made  under  the  authority  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment; and  in  the  immediate  vicinities  of  the  settlements 
above  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's,  the  country  has  been 
pretty  thoroughly  explored ;  but  the  extent  of  exact 
knowledge  acquired  in  that  manner  is  about  as  a  stone's 
throw  to  the  wide  reach  of  the  territory  itself. 

Concerning    Minesota  —  "the    New  England  of  the 


TERRITORIAL  BOUNDARY.  255 

West"  —  but  little,  indeed,  was  heard  or  known  until  in 
1 849.  Emigration  had  continued  flowing,  year  after  year, 
into  regions  further  south,  and  not  so  far  west.  Fertile 
lands,  comprising  millions  of  acres,  far  easier  of  access, 
lay  spread  out  invitingly  to  the  settler,  nearer  home.  The 
whole  intervening  country  still  contains  but  a  sparse  and 
scattered  population.  Wisconsin,  which  lies  between  the 
sources  of  population  in  the  older  states  and  the  vast 
territory  of  the  north,  is  yet  a  new  country,  more  than 
half  of  it  a  wilderness,  and  but  little  explored.  Iowa, 
too,  is  receiving  an  immense  influx  of  immigration,  the 
entire  western  and  northern  portions  of  the  state  being 
comparatively  wild  and  tenantless.  And  for  two  years 
past,  the  political  excitement  in  Kansas  has  been  drawing 
public  attention  to  that  quarter,  and  political  motives  are 
urging  on  settlers  from  all  parts  of  the  Union  to  seek 
there  for  homes.  Minesota,  therefore,  has  been,  and  is, 
to  some  degree,  neglected  and  forgotten. 

The  southern  limit  of  the  territory  is  the  boundary  of 
Iowa.  On  the  east,  the  line  follows  up  the  Mississippi  to 
Prescott,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix ;  thence  up  the 
latter  river  to  Lake  Superior.  On  the  north,  the  line,  com- 
mencing at  the  mouth  of  the  Arrow  River,  opposite  Isle 
Royale,  runs  north-westerly  through  Rainy  Lake  to  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods;  thence 
westerly  to  the  White  Earth  River,  which  empties  into  the 
Missouri  at  its  extreme  northerly  bend.  The  boundary 
on  the  west  is,  for  a  little  way,  along  the  White  Earth 
River;  thence,  following  down  the  Missouri,  throughout 
its  windings,  for  a  thousand  miles,  it  terminates  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Sioux  River.  Minesota  extends 
through  more  than  six  degrees  of  latitude  and  twelve 
degrees  of  longitude.  Its  extreme  length,  from  east  to 
west,  has  been  computed  at  six  hundred  miles,  and  its 


256  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

breadth  at  four  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  with  an  area  of 
upward  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles. 

Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
all  that  part  of  Minesota  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Mississippi  River  had  been  included  in  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin.  All  that  portion  west  of  the  river  had  been 
comprised  in  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  By  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress, March  3d,  1849,  Minesota  was  ereqted  into  a 
territory.  Alexander  Ramsey  was  appointed  governor, 
and  Charles  H.  Smith,  secretary.  The  legislative  power 
is  vested  in  the  governor  and  legislative  assembly. 
The  assembly  consists  of  a  council,  and  house  of  rep- 
resentatives. Councilors,  to  the  number  of  nine,  are 
elected  every  two  years ;  representatives,  annually.  The 
number  may  be  increased,  from  time  to  time,  by  the 
legislative  assembly ;  but  not  to  exceed  fifteen  coun- 
cilors and  thirty-nine  representatives.  No  law  shall  be 
passed  interfering  with  the  primary  disposal  of  the  soil ; 
no  tax  shall  be  imposed  upon  the  property  of  the  United 
States;  nor  shall  the  lands  or  other  property  of  non- 
residents be  taxed  .higher  than  the  property  of  residents. 
All  laws,  passed  by  the  legislative  assembly  and  gov- 
ernor, shall  be  submitted  to  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  and  if  disapproved,  shall  be  null  and  of  no  effect. 
No  one  session  of  the  legislature  shall  exceed  the  term 
of  sixty  days.  All  persons  of  a  mixture  of  white  and 
Indian  blood,  who  have  adopted  the  habits  and  customs 
of  civilized  men,  are  admitted  to  citizenship. 

Minesota  is  divided  into  twenty  counties ;  viz.,  Benton, 
Blue  Earth,  Cass,  Chisago,  Dakotah,  Fillmore,  Goodhue, 
Hennepin,  Itasca,  Kapasia,  Le  Seur,  Nicollet,  Pierce, 
Pembina,  Ramsey,  Rice,  Scott,  Sibley,  Wabashaw, 
and  Washington.  St.  Paul  is  the  capital.  The  in- 
crease of  population  is  seen  by  comparing  the  years 


NATIVITY   OF    THE    POPULATION.  257 

of  1§49  and  1850.  In  the  former,  the  number  was  four 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty ;  the  latter,  six  thou- 
sand and  seventy-seven.  According  to  the  census,  there 
were  nearly  two  thousand  more  males  than  females.  Of 
the  inhabitants,  about  seven  hundred  came  from  New 
England;  New  York,  five  hundred;  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey  together,  three  hundred ;  Virginia,  sixty ; 
Illinois,  two- hundred ;  Ohio,  three  hundred;  Wisconsin, 
three  hundred  and  fifty ;  Missouri,  ninety ;  South  Caro- 
lina, Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Louisiana,  each  about  half 
a  dozen.  The  foreigners  consist  of  about  ninety  English- 
men, three  hundred  Irishmen,  forty  Scotchmen,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Germans,  thirty  Frenchmen,  thirty-five 
Swiss ;  Canadians,  two  thousand. 

The  soil  of  Minesota  varies  greatly  in  character.  In 
the  valleys  of  the  rivers,  especially  of  the  St.  Peter's,  the 
Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  in  the  south-eastern  part 
of  the  territory,  the  soil  is  excellent.  Above  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony,  with  the  exception  of  the  river  alluvions 
and  some  prairie-land,  the  country  is  generally  covered 
with  drift,  interspersed  with  marshes,  too  wet  for 
cultivation ;  but  the  elevated  portion  is  much  of  it 
of  tolerable  fertility,  though  not  equal  to  the  calcareous 
lands  of  the  river  bottoms.  Professor  Owen  remarks, 
that  the  general  agricultural  character  of  the  Red  River 
country  is  excellent.  The  principal  drawbacks  are 
occasional  protracted  droughts  during  midsummer ; 
and,  during  the  spring,  freshets,  which,  from  time  to 
time,  overflow  large  tracts  of  low  prairie,  especially  near 
the  Great  Bend.  The  climate  of  Minesota,  in  some 
parts,  is  too  severe  for  Indian  corn ;  but  the  dryness 
and  steadiness  of  the  cold  favor  wheat  and  other  winter 
grains. 

The  general  features  of  Minesota  are  those  of  a  high 

Q 


S53  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

rolling  prairie,  or  elevated  table-land.    The  'surface  of 
the  territory  is  destitute  of  mountains;  yet  the  land  i    the 
highest  of  any  between  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  Hudson  s 
Bay      The  Mississippi,  and  the  Red  lliver  of  the  north, 
each  rising   near  the   head-waters  of  the  other,  in  the 
center  of  the  great  plain,  flow  off  in  opposite  directions 
the  one  to  the  tropics,  the  other  half-way  to  the  frozen 
ocean.      The  St.  Lawrence,  also,  takes  its  rise  in  tl 
favored  territory.     The  average  hight  of  the  land  above 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  is  about  twelve  hundred  feet. 

This  vast  northern  region  is  one  of  great  geological  inter- 
est     The  prevailing  opinion  of  those  who  have  studied  the 
features  of  the  rocks  of  Minesota  would  seem  to  be  t  at, 
at  some  period,  the  whole  region  has  been  lifted  up  —  pro- 
iectod  outward  from  the  center  of  the  earth.     On  ascend- 
ing the  Mississippi,  the  layers  of  rock  are  seen  to  have  a 
southern  dip.     At  the  entrance  to  Lake  Pepin  the  lower 
sandstone  constitutes  nearly  three  hundred  and  forty  feet 
of  the   bluff;   and   the  lower  magnesian  limestone,  c 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.    Near  the  great  bend  of  that  lake, 
the  latter  rock  forms  a  perpendicular  wall  of  two  hundred 
feet  the  total  elevation  above  the  water  being  over  t 
hundred  feet.     This  is  known  as  the  celebrated  "  Maiden's 
Rock  "     Thirteen  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croi 
lliver,  the  sandstone  has  entirely  disappeared,  the  lower 
limestone  reaching  to  the  hight  of  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Mississippi;  and  at  St.  Paul,  the  upper 
sandstone  rests  above  the  terrace  of  lower  mag- 


nesian limestone. 

The  sandstone  at  St.  Paul  is  of  the  best  quality,  whiter 
and  fairer  than  the  Linn  sand,  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  flint-glass.  The  depth  of  the  rock  varies  from  forty 
to  one  hundred  feet.  Along  the  St.  Peter's,  as  far  up 
as  Little  Rapids,  the  sandstone  is  covered  by  a  thin 


GEOLOGICAL   FORMATIONS.  259 

formation  6f  shell  limestone,  which  contains  about  sixty 
per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime.  And  throughout  the 
region  of  little  lakes,  south  of  the  St.  Peter's,  known  as 
the  "  Undine  Region,"  the  same  formation  continues,  con- 
sisting of  a  friable  sandstone  basis,  covered  with  a  deposit 
of  limestone.  The  undulating  prairies  of  that  tract  of 
country  support  a  calcareous  soil,  of  excellent  quality, 
producing  heavy  crops  of  grain.  Other  contiguous  tracts 
rest  upon  a  white  shell  marl  and  infusorial  earth,  possess- 
ing groat  fertilizing  properties.  Above  Little  Eapids, 
extending  to  White  Rock,  a  distance  of  eighty  miles,  the 
bed  of  the  St.  Peter's  is  formed  by  ledges  of  soft,  brown 
sandstone,  supporting  a  layer  of  fawn-colored  carbonifer- 
ous limestone.  Wherever  that  formation  prevails,  the  soil 
is  of  excellent  quality,  rich,  and  capable  of  sustaining  a 
long  succession  of  crops. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi,  above  the  Crow  Wing 
River,  the  country  presents  an  entirely  different  aspect 
from  that  below.  The  forests  become  denser,  and  contain 
a  greater  variety  of  timber.  The  soil  is  alternately 
sandy,  gravelly,  clayey,  and  loamy ;  and  lighter,  except  on 
the  shores  of  the  lakes  and  larger  streams.  The  high 
lands  are  covered  with  white  and  yellow  pines,  spruce,  and 
birch;  the  lowlands,  by  larches  and  willows.  From  the 
lake  and  river  margins,  the  wood-lands  extend  back  a  mile 
and  more,  producing  sugar-maple,  oak,  elm,  ash,  and  bass- 
wood.  Red  cedar  is  found  only  on  the  islands  of  the 
Red  Cedar  Lakes.  "  The  aspect  of  the  country  is  greatly 
varied  by  hills,  dales,  copses,  small  prairies,  and  a  great 
number  of  lakes.  The  climate  is  found  to  be  well  adapted 
to  the  culture  of  wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  corn.  The 
potato  is  of  a  superior  quality  to  that  of  the  middle 
states  of  the  Union." 

On  the  western  side  of  the  territory,  along  the  Mis- 


260  THE   GREAT    WEST. 

souri,  the  chalk  formation  sets  in,  just  aboVe  the  Big 
Sioux  River,  and  extends  indefinitely  north-west.  This 
region  may  possess  great  interest  to  the  geologist ;  but  it 
should  be  shunned  by  the  agriculturist.  The  banks  of 
the  Missouri  consist  of  argillaceous  limestone,  at  the  bot- 
tom, rising  three  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river;  next  a 
calcareous  marl,  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  thick ;  then  a 
ferruginous  clay  bank,  of  a  yellowish  color,  some  twenty 
feet  thick ;  and  lastly  a  deposit  of  plastic  clay,  two  hun- 
dred feet  thick.  Now  a  soil  formed  from  such  materials 
will  produce  only  the  most  meager  vegetation. 

But  that  region  of  sterility  is  confined  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Missouri.  The  valley  of  the  Riviere  4 
Jacques,  or  James  River,  is  preeminently  beautiful  and 
fertile.  That  river,  rising  north  of  parallel  forty-seven, 
winds  along  in  a  southerly  direction,  through  more  than 
four  degrees  of  latitude,  across  the  whole  of  western 
Minesota,  for  seven  hundred  miles,  to  the  south-western 
extremity  of  the  territory.  Its  shores  are  lined  with 
beautiful  groves  of  maple,  elm,  ash,  and  oak.  Frequently 
the  stream  expands  into  picturesque  lakes.  Its  waters 
are  wide,  deep,  and  clear,  descending  from  an  elevation  of 
seven  hundred  feet.  The  immense  basin  of  the  river 
varies  from  fifty  miles  to  one  hundred  miles  in  width,  and 
constitutes  one  continuous  prairie,  interrupted  only  by  the 
timbered  branches  of  the  main  stream,  unsurpassed  by 
any  other  in  the  United  States.  The  river  is  navigable 
throughout  three-fourths  of  its  entire  length.  The  valley 
of  the  James  River  is  the  great  pasture-ground  of  the 
buifaloes  east  of  the  Missouri. 

The  Big  Sioux  River  is  likewise  a  most  interesting 
stream,  flowing  through  a  fertile  country,  except  near  its 
mouth,  where  the  surface  is  broken  into  rugged  hills.  Its 
banks  are  continuously  lined  with  timber.  The  river 


NAVIGATION  OF  THK  MISSOURI.  261 

rises  within  a  mile  of  the  head-waters  of  the  St.  Peter's. 
About  midway  in  its  course,  the  Big  Sioux  breaks  through 
a  remarkable  quartz  formation,  and  seems  to  have  rup- 
tured the  massive  wall  of  rock.  Within  a  distance  of 
four  hundred  yards,  the  river  leaps  and  plunges  down 
three  successive  falls  —  one  of  twenty  feet,  one  of  eighteen 
feet,  and  one  often  feet — with  rapids  intervening,  supply- 
ing an  incalculable  amount  of  water-power.  Above  and 
below,  the  valley  rises  gently,  on  either  hand,  to  a  hight 
of  three  hundred  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  stream.  Be- 
tween the  Big  Sioux  and  the  Des  Moines  is  situated  the 
celebrated  red  pipe-stone  quarry,  which  the  Indians  believe 
was  opened  to  them  by  the  Great  Spirit.  The  tribes  all 
consider  it  to  be  consecrated  grounds,  and  never  chip 
off  a  bit  of  the  rock,  without  many  superstitious  observ- 
ances. The  stone  readily  receives  a  dull  polish.  It  is 
not  affected  by  acids,  and  is  said  to  be  indestructible  by 
fire.  In  color  it  is  blood-red. 

Before  dismissing  the  western  side  of  Minesota,  it  may 
be  well  to  mention,  that  the  Missouri  River  is  navigable, 
for  steamboats,  as  high  up  as  the  Yellow  Stone — more 
than  three  thousand  miles  above  St..  Louis ;  but  the 
channel  is  winding,  intricate,  and  ever-shifting,  thronged 
with  snags  and  sawyers,  and  interrupted  by  sand-bars. 
The  greatest  freshets  occur  in  July.  Steamboats, 
stemming  its  impetuous  current,  require  four  months  to 
complete  the  ascent. 

The  valley  of  the  St.  Peter's  is  one  of  the  most  attract- 
ive portions  of  the  territory.  The  land  rises  from  the 
water  in  three  terraces,  rather  than  bluffs.  First,  the 
alluvial  border,  about  a  mile  in  width,  of  natural  meadow, 
some  parts  of  it  annually  overflowed,  and  of  inexhaustible 
fertility.  Ten  miles  above  Little  Rapids,  this  bottom- 
land is  elevated  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  above  the 


262  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

water,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide  on  each  side  of  the 
stream,  and  many  miles  in  length,  affording  some  of  the 
best  farming  lands  in  the  world.  In  that  delightful  re- 
gion, the  lower  terrace  is  dotted  with  groves  of  sugar- 
maple,  elm,  ash,  and  oak.  The  second  terrace  is  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  first,  and  con- 
sists of  openings,  so  interspersed  with  timber  that  it 
resembles  a  cultivated  country.  Fifty  feet  higher  is  the 
third  elevation,  spreading  out,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
an  illimitable  rolling  prairie. 

Commencing  at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  one  hundred  and 
sixteen  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's,  the  val- 
ley consist^  of  an  undulating,  fertile  prairie,  with  a  back- 
ground of  forest,  in  which  the  basswood,  and  whitewood, 
the  sugar-maple,  elm,  butternut,  and  hickory,  abound. 
The  underbrush  is  a  mixture  of  prickly-ash,  gooseberry 
bushes,  and  grape-vines.  In  many  places,  the  terraces 
subside  into  a  gentle  slope,  dotted  with  groves,  with  here 
and  there  among  the  shrubbery  a  huge  bowlder,  giv- 
ing the  landscape,  at  a  little  distance,  the  appearance 
of  a  settled  country,  with  dwellings,  and  gardens,  and 
orchards. 

The  Blue  Earth  River  is  the  principal  tributary  of  the 
St.  Peter's,  and  it  comes  flowing  in  from  the  south.  At 
its  mouth  it  is  very  rapid ;  but  above,  the  current  is  rather 
moderate.  On  the  whole,  it  is  a  deep  and  important 
stream.  The  river  takes  its  name  from  a  bank  of  blue 
clay,  six  miles  from  the  St  Peter's,  which  the  Indians 
have  been  using  as  a  paint  for  ages.  The  river  banks 
are,  in  some  places,  almost  perpendicular,  and  generally 
full  sixty  feet  in  hight.  The  Blue  Earth  has  a  very 
great  number  of  branches  spreading  out  through  the 
country,  like  a  fan.  The  valleys  and  the  uplands  are  well 
supplied  with  timber.  One  of  its  branches  is  separated 


MINSK-HA-HA  FALLS. 


2G4  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

from  the  Des  Moines  only  by  a  narrow  tongue  of  land, 
not  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  broad. 

The  St.  Peter's  Valley  is  destined  some  day  to  support 
an  immense  population.  It  is  in  the  same  latitude  of 
northern  New  York.  The  soil  is  inviting;  the  land 
cleared  for  the  plow,  yet  timber  sufficient  for  all  pur- 
poses ;  and  water-power  always  near  at  hand.  The  most 
important  point  in  the  whole  course  of  the  stream,  which 
flows  through  a  distance  of  nearly  five  hundred  miles,  is 
Traverse  des  Sioux.  It  has  a  good  landing,  a  fine  site 
for  a  city,  in  the  midst  of  a  lovely  country ;  and  from  a 
back  ridge  of  an  elevation  of  two  hundred  feet,  comes 
tumbling  down  a  rapid  creek,  fed  by  constant  springs. 

Among  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  St.  Peter's  Valley, 
the  tourist  should  not  fail  to  look  for  the  Minnehaha  Falls, 
about  three  miles  distant  from  Fort  "Snelling.  The  out- 
lets of  a  number  of  the  upland  lakes  flow  into  each  other, 
and  form  a  single  channel  with  a  gentle  descent  to  the 
edge  of  a  precipice,  down  which  the  "  Laughing  Waters," 
as  the  Indians  named  them,  leap  into  a  secluded  rocky 
chasm,  throwing  up  spray,  and  roaring  among  the  trees. 
But  some  egotistical  "  cuss,"  who  deserves  flinging  over 
the  cataract  for  his  impudence,  has  stuck  the  name  of  his 
own  "ugly  mug"  upon  the  picturesque  locality,  and 
called  it  "Brown's  Falls."  Let  the  public  all  unite  in 
the  spicy  protest  of  the  indignant  tourist,  who,  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Minnehaha,  in  view  of  the  "  Laughing  Wa- 
ters," and  of  "Brown's"  desecration  of  them,  thus  pro- 
claimed aloud :  "  In  the  name  of  common-sense,  and  all 
that  is  poetic  and  pleasing  in  human  nature,  let  us  sol- 
emnly protest  against  those  desecrations  which  rob  our 
beautiful  lakes,  rivers,  and  cascades,  of  their  charming 
and  significant  Indian  names ;  and  no  longer  allow  every 
Brown,  Smith,  Snooks,  and  Fizzle,  who  happens  to  be  the 


LAKE    PEPm.  265 

first  to  see  some  beautiful  creation  of  Nature,  with  dull 
eyes  which  have  no  appreciation  for  any  thing  more  senti- 
mental than  a  lump  of  lead,  a  buffalo-hide,  or  a  catfish, 
to  perpetuate  his  cognomen  at  the  expense  of  good  taste 
and  common  honesty." 

The  tract  of  land  sweeping  away  to  the  south  of  the 
St.  Peter's,  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Cannon  and  the 
"Wazi-oju  rivers,  is  likewise  fertile,  undulating,  dotted 
thickly  with  little  lakes,  of  deep,  clear,  and  sparkling  wa- 
ter, belted  with  trees,  and  surrounded  every  way  by  wood- 
crowned  hills  and  lovely  prairies.  So  romantic  is  this 
region,  so  thickly  strewn  with  lakes  and  ponds,  that  repose 
like  gems  on  the  bosom  of  the  earth ;  so  beautifully  tim- 
bered with  groves,  free  from  underbrush;  with  such  a 
gently-rising  and  falling  surface  of  prairie  and  openings, 
that  it  may  be  denominated  the  paradise  of  farmers. 

Approaching  the  Mississippi,  from  the  country  south 
of  the  St.  Peter's,  the  traveler  will  come  plump  upon  the 
yawning  chasm  of  Lake  Pepin,  four  hundred  feet  below 
him,  where  huge  rafts,  like  river  serpents,  are  floating 
along,  and  steamboats,  diminutive  in  the  depths,  are  cough- 
ing, and  wheezing,  and  fluttering  upon  the  water.  But 
Lake  Pepin  is  not  all  the  way  walled  in  by  precipices. 
On  the  western  shore,  near  the  upper  end  of  this  remark- 
able expansion  of  the  Mississippi,  there  is  a  beautiful 
prairie,  commencing  along  the  water's  edge  for  four  or 
five  miles,  and  rising  in  a  gentle  slope,  far  back,  where  it 
is  crowned  with  mounds  and  bluffs.  Just  above  this 
prairie  is  La  Grange  Mountain,  three  hundred  and 
twenty-two  feet  high. 

Lake   Pepin   is   ordinarily  placid   and    smooth   as   a 

mirror.    It  has  scarcely  a  perceptible  current.    Yet  it  is 

deceitful  above  all  things  —  subject  to  gales  and  storms, 

when  the  wind  will  whistle  and  howl  through  the  rocky 

12 


266  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

chasm,  and  toss  the  water  about  like  "  all  possessed." 
The  French  voyageurs  regarded  it  as  a  natural  contriv- 
ance for  "raising  the  devil,"  generally.  They  would  say 
of  it:  " Le  lac  cst  petit,  mais  il  cst  maUn."  It  is  the 
terror  of  all  the  lumbermen  of  the  north.  Their  rafts  often 
get  knocked  "endwise,"  and  distributed  pretty  generally 
along  down  the  Mississippi.  One  day,  a  steamboat  was 
towing  a  huge  raft  of  timber  and  sawed  lumber  over  the 
lake,  as  proud  as  an  old  duck  followed  by  her  brocd ;  but- 
soon  a  gale  pitched  the  raft  to  pieces,  and  tumbled  the 
logs  about,  so  fiercely  that  the  boat  had  to  cast  loose, 
and  scud  for  safety. 

Proceeding  up  the  Mississippi,  the  country,  from  St. 
Paul  to  Sauk  Rapids,  one  hundred  miles  above  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony,  is  well  adapted  to  agricultural  purposes. 
The  soil,  sandy  to  the  depth  of  six  inches,  rests  on  a  bed 
of  clay.  The  river  banks  vary  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  in 
hight;  well  timbered  —  particularly  the  western  shore — 
with  groves  of  sugar-maple,  oak,  ash,  elm,  and  hickory. 
Many  small  streams  wind  through  the  prairies,  skirted 
with  woods ;  and,  passing  along  the  river  road,  one 
scarcely  loses  sight  of  the  lakes,  —  for,  in  Minesota,  lakes 
are  everywhere  —  on  the  hills;  in  the  valleys;  among 
the  woods  ;  on  the  plains ;  and  upon  the  banks  of  rivers. 
In  some  parts  of  the  country,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  whether 
the  land  is  surrounded  by  water,  or  the  water  by  land. 

"  Crow  Wing  River  is  an  important  tributary  of  the 
Mississippi.  It  has  its  source  in  Lake  Kaginogumaug, 
near  Leech  Lake,  with  which  it  is  connected,  in  Indian 
navigation,  by  ten  small  lakes  or  ponds,  separated  by  five 
small  portages,  of  various  lengths.  It  expands  success- 
ively into  eleven  lakes,  before  it  forms  a  junction  with 
Shell  River,  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  main  stream. 
It  has  two  large  tributaries  —  Leaf  and  Long  Prairie 


WILD   RICE.  267 

rivers,  which  flow  from  the  west,  and  are  rivers  of  con- 
siderable magnitude.  Its  banks  are  elevated,  crowned 
with  forests,  yielding  every  variety  of  pine.  Its  alluvial 
bottoms  are  studded  with  elm,  soft-maple,  ash,  and  oak." 

Further  toward  the  north,  in  the  vicinity  of  Red  Lake, 
and  Cass  Lake,  and  Turtle  River,  the  country  abounds 
in  wild  rice.  Immense  fields  of  it — thousands  of  acres  — 
grow  up  annually,  without  sowing  or  reaping,  with  large 
yield,  sufficient  to  supply  a  dense  population.  The  Indians 
push  round  in  among  it  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  and 
thrash  their  canoes  full  of  the  grain,  scaring  innumerable 
water-fowl,  that  quack,  and  twitter,  and  flap  about,  gorged 
almost  to  suffocation.  The  wild  rice  makes  a  nourishing 
diet,  —  a  bushel  of  it  is  said  to  contain  as  much  nutritive 
matter  as  a  bushel  of  wheat.  There  are  likewise  vast 
meadows  of  sweet  grass,  which  the  cattle  eagerly  crop. 
For  the  mere  purpose  of  sustaining  life,  this  is  an  incom- 
parable region,  —  there  is  wood  enough,  cranberries,  rasp- 
berries, rice,  pasturage,  game,  and  the  finest  varieties  of 
fish ;  the  soil  is  quick  and  warm,  producing  corn,  pota- 
toes, oats,  peas,  and  all  the  substantial  garden  vegetables  ; 
and  the  woods  abound  in  sugar-maple. 

In  no  part  of  the  country  do  the  streams  meander  so 
beautifully  as  in  this.  They  wind  around  in  all  shapes 
and  directions,  sweeping  away  for  miles,  to  return  within 
a  few  rods  of  their  own  banks.  They  interlace  the  entire 
region,  and  almost  flow  under,  and  over,  and  into,  each 
other.  The  country  rises  to  a  high  prairie,  between  those 
streams  and  the  tributaries  of  the  Red  River  of  the  north, 
possessing  groves  of  timber,  springs  of  water,  and  a  sandy, 
loamy  soil,  bottomed  on  clay.  From  the  Otter  Tail 
Lake,  the  Red  River  makes  a  great  southward  bend, 
through  a  region  unsurpassed  for  rural  beauty.  It  resem 
bles  the  most  attractive  portions  of  Iowa.  The  bound- 


268  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

less  prairie  has  a  strong,  calcareous  soil,  adapted  to  all 
the  cereal  grains.  Voyaging  down  that  noble  river  in 
midsummer,  between  its  banks  embowered  in  wild-roses, 
the  air  is  loaded  with  perfume.  When  the  river  has 
again  turned  to -the  northward,  it  pours  along  through  a 
plain  of  vast  extent, —  the  eye  seeks  in  vain  for  hills  ;  but 
scattered  about,  as  if  planted  by  hand,  are  groves  of  oak. 
The  timber  continues  growing  sparser  and  thinner,  Till, 
before  reaching  Pembina,  every  vestige  of  shrubbery  lias 
disappeared  from  the  plain.  The  river,  however,  has 
some  few  trees  on  its  banks.  Its  ash  attains  a  prodigious 
growth.  One  striking  peculiarity  of  the  Red  River  of 
the  North  is,  that  it  has  no  blufifs,  no  hills,  no  rising  back- 
ground ;  but  throughout  its  entire  course  it  meanders  in 
the  midst  of  a  high  table-land.  The  river-bed  is  chan- 
neled into  the  surface  of  the  plain.  In  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  Pembina,  the  timber  increases,  and  be- 
comes plentiful  for  all  purposes. 

No  country  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge  is  so 
bountifully  supplied  with  spring  water  as  Minesota. 
The  springs  are  constant  and  powerful :  they  are  rather 
gushing  fountains,  supplying  lakes  innumerable,  and  filling 
the  upper  channels  of  the  three  largest  rivers  in  North 
America.  The  rocks,  dipping  in  either  direction,  here 
bring  to  the  surface  those  water  seams,  which  in  other 
parts  are  only  to  be  reached  by  deep  boring.  Minesota 
is  the  artesian  fountain  of  the  continent.  A  few  miles 
above  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  at  Cold  Spring  Prairie,  the 
tourist  may  see  a  little  of  the  working  of  that  underground 
hydraulic  power  that  pumps  the  territory  full  of 'lakes, 
and  requires  the  Red  River,  and  the  Mississippi,  and  the 
St.  Lawrence,  for  spout-ways  to  the  ocean.  Cold  Spring 
Prairie  takes  its  name  from  a  spring  in  the  bottom  of  the 
Mississippi.  A  traveler  has  described  it  as  follows :  "  It 


INDIAN   SUMMER.  269 

was  boiling  up  in  the  Mississippi  like  a  pot,  about  a  foot 
from  the  edge  of  the  bank,  and  apparently  in  deep  water, 
throwing  up  constantly  gravel  and  pebble-stones.  By 
scooping  my  hand  two  or  three  times  along  the  surface, 
I  obtained  a  handful  of  the  latter.  The  noise  made  by 
this  boiling  spring  could  be  heard  some  ten  or  twelve  rods. 
The  water,  though  mingled  with  that  of  the  Mississippi, 
was  nearly  as  cold  as  ice-water." 

Minesota,  notwithstanding  its  prairie  features,  has  one 
magnificent  forest.  Commencing  at  a  point  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  about  eight  miles  above  St.  Anthony,  a 
remarkable  belt  of  heavy  timber  extends  in  a  southerly 
direction,  at  a  right-angle  across  the  St.  Peter's,  to  the 
branches  of  the  Blue  Earth  River,  a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles.  This  forest  varies,  in  width,  from 
fifteen  to  forty  miles,  resembling  very  much  the  "  Cross 
Timbers  "  in  the  western  part  of  Arkansas.  The  soil  is 
unusually  deep,  covered  with  the  mold  of  a  thousand 
years.  Wherever  the  sunlight  penetrates  the  shade,  the 
little  lakes,  with  which  the  forest  is  studded,  glisten  and 
gleam  like  molten  silver. 

Minesota  is  destined  to  become  a  great  agricultural  and 
grazing  region.  Its  upland  and  lowland  pastures  would 
support  a  dairy  that  would  enrich  an  empire.  All  the 
principal  grains  and  roots  thrive  there  in  great  vigor,  as 
high  toward  the  north  as  Pembina,  just  below  the  divid- 
ing line  between  the  United  States  and  British  America. 
Latitude  does  not  always  indicate  the  climate.  The 
character  of  the  soil  has  great  influence  upon  the  temper- 
ature of  the  air.  A  quick,  warm  soil  makes  a  warm 
atmosphere.  The  autumns  of  Minesota  are  greatly 
lengthened  out  by  the  Indian  summer  —  that  smoky, 
dreamy,  balmy  season,  which  protects  the  surface  from 
frost,  like  a  mantle  flung  over  the  earth.  The  cold  nips 


270  "THE   GREAT   WEST. 

vegetation  about  as  early  along  the  Ohio  as  along  the 
St.  Peter's.  The  winters  of  Minesota  are  cold ;  but  then 
they  are  still  and  calm,  and  the  icy  ah  does  not  penetrate 
as  it  does  in  a  windy  climate.  The  sncw  falls,  and  there 
it  lies  till  spring ;  and  does  not,  as  in  Virginia  the  present 
winter,  drift  over  the  tree-tops  in  the  valleys,  leaving  the 
hills  bare,  to  freeze  any  imaginable  depth. 

The  manner  of  perfecting  a  squatter's  title  in  the  ter- 
ritory, upon  the  unsurveyed  lands,  is  as  follows  :  "  First, 
some  labor  must  be  bestowed  on  the  claim — such  as  plow- 
ing two  or  three  furrows,  or  staking  it  out,  so  that  the 
claim  may  be  designated,  or  the  intentions  of  the  claimant 
made  known.  This  causes  it  to  be  respected  for  one 
year.  In  the  second  year,  improvements  to  the  value  of 
fifty  dollars  or  more  must  be  made.  During  the  third 
year,  it  must  be  occupied,  either  by  the  claimant  himself, 
or  by  some  one  for  him."  In  Minesota,  two  sections  of 
land  in  every  township  are  devoted  to  the  support  of 
common  schools. 

The  beautiful  village  of  Mendota  occupies  a  fine  situa- 
tion on  the  St.  Peter's,  five  mile-s  below  St.  Paul,  and 
upon  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  There  is  one 
serious  drawback  upon  this  attractive  town :  it  is  within 
the  military  reservation,  and  no  white  people  are  allowed 
to  reside  there  without  permission  of  the  United  States. 

St.  Paul,  the  seat  of  government,  at  the  head  of  navi- 
gation from  the  Lower  Mississippi,  is  built  on  a  level 
plateau,  terminating,  on  the  river,  in  a  precipitous  bluff, 
about  eighty  feet  high.  But  that  bluff  recedes  from  the 
margin  of  the  river  at  both  the  upper  and  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  town,  forming  two  landings,  creating  a  healthy 
rivalry  in  business.  Part  of  the  lower  town  is  situated 
on  a  bench  of  land,  about  twenty  feet  below  the  level  of 
the  plateau.  St.  Paul  has  one  disagreeable  feature :  the 


TABLE    OF   DISTANCES.  271 

streets  are  narrow ;  and  the  land  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff, 
instead  of  being  reserved  for  a  promenade,  like  that  of 
Iowa  City,  is  cut  up  into  small  lots,  having  their  rear 
toward  the  Mississippi ;  and  certain  little,  but  very  useful, 
buildings  present  an  unpleasant  aspect,  when  viewed  from 
the  river. 

The  religious  statistics  of  the  territory  are  as  yet  so 
imperfectly  made  up  that  but  little  can  be  said,  with  cer- 
tainty, respecting  the  denominational  character  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  Episcopalians  have  a  church  at  St. 
Paul.  The  Roman  Catholics  have  seven,  in  different 
parts  —  chiefly  mission  stations.  The  Methodists  and 
Baptists  are  supposed  to  be  numerous.  On  the  whole, 
Minesota  is  one  of  the  most  promising  regions  of  country 
in  the  world,  and  will  richly  repay  the  tourist  in  sur- 
veying the  beauty  of  its  scenery,  and  the  settler  in  the 
productiveness  of  its  soil. 

A  railroad  now  connects  Chicago  with  Galena,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  distance  to  St.  Paul  is  by  steamboat. 
The  Upper  Mississippi  generally  opens  in  April,  and  the 
boats  continue  running  till  about  the  first  of  Decem- 
ber. The  following  table  will  show  the  distances  from 
Galena,  viz : 

WHOLE  DISTANOK. 
MILES.  MILES. 

"  To  the  mouth  of  Fever  River,  .    .  6  6 

Dubuque 20  26 

Cassville, 31  57 

Wisconsin  River, 26  83 

Prairie  du  Chien, 5  88 

Upper  Iowa  River,    ....  38  126 

Bad  Ox, 12  138 

Root  River, 23  161 

Black  River,  12  173 


272  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

MILES.         MILBS. 

Chippewa  River 68  241 

Head  of  Lake  Pepin,      ...  25  266 

St.  Croix, 35  301 

St.  Paul 26  327 

"  From  Galena  to  St.  Peter's,  the  fare  varies  from  five  to 
six  dollars,  for  cabin  passage ;  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
for  deck  passage ;  freight,  per  hundred,  twenty -five  cents ; 
horses  and  cattle,  per  head,  four  dollars.  But  families, 
with  considerable  freight,  are  taken  at  a  much  lower  rate." 


NORTH  AMERICAN  LAKES.         273 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  SUPERIOR  COUNTRY. 

Lake  Superior  —  American  coast  —  Anchorage  —  Harbors  —  Dan- 
ger of  navigating  the  lake  —  Curious  phenomena  of  the  lake  — 
Transparency  of  its  waters — The  mirage  of  Lake  Superior  — 
Islands  —  Isle  Royale — Lakes  in  Isle  Royale  —  Perennial  ice  — 
Effect  of  the  extreme  cold  on  the  growth  of  the  trees  —  Rock  Har- 
bor —  Streams  emptying  into  Lake  Superior  —  Appearance  of  the 
shore  —  Iron- works  of  Carp  River  —  Porcupine  Mountains  —  Table 
of  distances  —  The  La  Grande  Sables  —  Pictured  Rocks  —  Onton- 
agon  River  —  Montreal  River  —  Sturgeon  River  —  The  Iron  re- 
gion —  The  different  beds,  etc. —  Geologists'  opinion  of  the  iron 
region — Location  of  good  agricultural  lands  —  Advantages  of  a 
railroad  through  the  iron  regions  —  The  copper  region  of  the  Supe- 
rior country —  Lake  Superior  reverenced  by  the  Indians  —  The  first 
Englishman  who  visited  the  copper  region  —  Extract  from  his  jour- 
nal —  First  mining  company —  Mining  companies  of  Keweenaw  — 
Trap  rock  —  Silver  among  the  copper  —  Cliff  mine  —  Copper  Falls 
mine,  rich  in  silver  —  Largest  mass  of  copper  —  Table  of  the  pro- 
ducts of  foreign  mines  —  Eagle  Harbor  —  Game  and  speckled 
trout  —  Fisheries  of  Lake  Superior — Climate,  etc. 

THE  North  American  lakes,  consisting  of  lakes  Superior, 
Michigan,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario,  present  a  watery 
surface  of  ninety  thousand  square  miles,  of  which  more 
than  one-third,  or  thirty-two  thousand  square  miles,  is 
comprised  in  Lake  Superior  alone.  That  vast  inland  sea 
lies  between  the  forty-sixth  and  forty-ninth  parallels  of 
latitude,  and  the  eighty-fourth  and  ninety-second  degrees 
of  longitude  west  of  Greenwich.  Its  greatest  length  is 
four  hundred  miles.  Its  greatest  breadth  from  Grand 
Island  to  Neepigon  Bay  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
The  surface  of  the  lake  is  six  hundred  feet  above  the 


274  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

level  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean;  but  its  bottom  is  three 
hundred  feet  below ;  for  it  has  a  mean  depth  of  nine  hun- 
dred feet.  The  French,  who  were  the  first  explorers  of 
Lake  Superior,  fancifully  described  it  as  a  watery  bow,  of 
which  the  southern  shore  was  the  string,  and  Keweeriaw 
Point,  the  arrow.  The  lake  discharges  through  the  St. 
Mary's  Strait  into  lake  Huron,  which  occupies  a  lower 
level,  by  forty-four  feet  and  eight  inches.  The  strait  is 
about  seventy  miles  long  ;  but  it  is  divided  into  two  sec- 
tions by  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  fifteen  miles  below  Lake 
Superior.  The  lower  section  is  navigable  for  small 
steamboats,  and  vessels  drawing  six  feet  of  water.  This 
section  contains  four  large  islands  and  several  smaller  ones; 
but  the  principal  channel — the  westerly  one  —  is  nearly 
a  mile  in  width.  The  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  or  more  prop- 
erly, rapids,  are  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  length,  having 
a  fall,  in  that  distance,  of  twenty-two  feet  and  ten  inches. 
The  two  sections  are  now  united  by  a  steamboat  and  ship 
canal. 

Following  along  the  indentations  of  the  southern  shore, 
around  the  westerly  extremity  of  the  lake,  to  Arrow  River, 
opposite  to  Isle  Royale,  will  give  the  extreme  length  of 
the  American  coast,  which  can  not  be  much  less  than  one 
thousand  miles ;  a  part  of  which  is  in  Michigan,  part  in 
Wisconsin,  and  part  in  Minesota.  Lake  Superior  is 
walled  in  by  rocks,  which,  in  some  places,  are  piled  in 
mountain  masses  upon  the  very  shore.  The  waves  dash 
against  precipices  and  beetling  crags,  that  threaten  the 
unfortunate  mariner,  in  a  storm  upon  a  lee  shore,  with  al- 
most inevitable  destruction.  There  is  tolerable  anchorage 
at  the  head  of  St.  Mary's  Strait.  Keweenaw  Point  has 
two  sheltering  bays  ;  viz,  Copper  Harbor  and  Eagle 
Harbor.  Protection  may  be  found  from  the  surf,  under 
the  lee  of  the  Apostle  Islands,  at  La  Pointe.  St.  Louis 


LAKE   SUPERIOR.  275 

River,  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  is  a  good  harbor ;  but  the 
best  harbors  are  afforded  by  the  indentations  of  the  shores 
of  Isle  Royale. 

"  Owing  to  the  lofty  crags  which  surround  Lake  Supe- 
rior, the  winds,  sweeping  over  the  lake,  impinge  upon  its 
surface  so  abruptly  as  to  raise  a  peculiarly  deep  and 
combing  sea,  which  is  extremely  dangerous  to  boats  and 
small  craft.  It  is  not  safe,  on  this  account,  to  venture 
far  out  into  the  lake  in  bateaux ;  and  hence  voyagers 
generally  hug  the  shore,  in  order  to  be  able  to  take  land, 
in  case  of  sudden  storms.  During  the  months  of  June, 
July,  and  August,  the  navigation  of  the  lake  is  ordinarily 
safe;  but  after  the  middle  of  September,  great  caution 
is  required  in  navigating  its  waters ;  and  boatmen  of  ex- 
perience never  venture  far  from  land,  or  attempt  long 
traverses  across  bays.  Their  boats  are  always  drawn 
far  up  on  the  land  at  every  camping-place  for  the  night, 
lest  they  should  be  staved  to  pieces  by  the  surf,  which 
is  liable,  at  any  moment,  to  rise,  and  beat  with  great  fury 
upon  the  beaches." 

One  of  the  most  curious  phenomena  of  the  lake  is  the 
sudden  and  inexplicable  heaving  and  swelling  of  its  waters, 
when  the  air  is  still.  Mr.  Schoolcraft,  who  passed  over 
Lake  Superior,  in  1820,  thus  describes  it:  "Although  it 
was  calm,  and  had  been  so  all  day,  save  a  light  breeze 
for  a  couple  of  hours  after  leaving  the  Ontonagon,  the 
waters  near  the  shore  were  in  a  perfect  rage,  heaving  and 
lashing  upon  the  rocks  in  a  manner  which  rendered  it 
difficult  to  land.  At  the  same  time,  scarce  a  breath  of 
air  was  stirring,  and  the  atmosphere  was  beautifully 
serene."  Now  this  agitation  was  observed  at  the  close 
of  the  day's  voyage,  which  had  carried  the  party  fifty 
miles  from  the  Ontonagon ;  and  the  slight  breeze  had  been 
blowing  only  a  little  while  in  the  morning. 


S76  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

Another  noticeable  feature  of  Lake  Superior  is  the 
extraordinary  purity  and  transparency  of  the  water, 
through  which  every  pebble  may  be  distinctly  seen  at 
the  depth  of  twenty-five  feet.  When  out  in  a  canoe  upon 
Its  surface,  the  frail  vessel  does  not  seem  to  be  afloat  upon 
a  watery  element,  but  suspended  in  mid-air,  with  ethereal 
depths  around  and  below.  Those  who  have  visited  both 
Lake  George  —  the  world-famous  Horicon,  whose  waters 
were  at  one  time  carried  to  Rome  to  fill  the;  papal  fonts  — 
and  Lake  Superior,  affirm  that  the  latter  far  surpasses 
the  former  in  clearness  and  transparency.  Indeed,  they 
assure  us  that,  often,  while  looking  down  from  the  hight 
at  which  the  boat  seems  suspended,  the  head  will  grow 
dizzy,  and  a  feeling  of  faintness  be  superinduced.  The 
•water  of  Lake  Superior,  like  that  of  lakes  Michigan, 
Huron,  and  Erie,  is  "hard,"  and  unfit  for  laundry  purposes, 
without  a  previous  breaking  by  soda  or  other  means. 
This  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  supposition  that  it 
rolls  over  calcareous  beds  in  some  part  of  its  course,  but 
what  part  has  not.  yet  been  ascertained ;  for  the  water  of 
all  the  streams  and  springs  that  flow  into  the  lake,  so  far 
as  they  have  been  examined,  is  found  to  be  "  soft,"  and 
so  entirely  free  from  earthy  or  other  foreign  matter,  "  that 
the  daguerreotypist  finds  it  better  for  his  purposes  than 
the  best  distilled  water  of  the  chemist." 

Not  less  peculiar  is  the  atmosphere  around  and  over 
the  lake,  which  plays  strange  and  fantastic  tricks  in  the 
face  of  high  heaven,  seeming  to  possess  a  life  and  spirit 
strictly  in  unison  with  the  wonderful  expanse  of  waters 
that  lies  spread  out  below.  The  mirage  of  Lake  Superior 
fills  the  spectator  with  astonishment.  For  weeks  during 
the  summer,  the  traveler  along  the  shores  of  this  inland 
sea  may  be  gratified  by  a  view  of  the  most  curious  phan- 
tasmagoria—  images  of  mountains  and  islands  being 


ROCK   HARBOR.  277 

vividly  represented,  in  all  their  outlines,  with  their  tufts 
of  ever-green  trees,  precipices,  and  rocky  pinnacles,  all 
inverted  in  the  air,  and  hanging  high  over  their  terrestrial 
originals,  and  then  again  repeated  upright  in  another 
picture  directly  ahove  the  inverted  one.  Rock  Harbor,  in 
Isle  Royale,  is  the  most  noted  locality  for  observing  these 
phantasmagoria.  But  the  mirage  is  not  confined  to  any 
particular  part  of  the  lake.  Frequently,  the  voyager,  long 
before  he  has  hove  in  sight  of  land,  will  see  the  coast  he 
is  approaching  pictured  upon  the  skies  along  the  horizon ; 
and  after  the  real  shore  has  appeared,  three  views  of  it 
will  be  presented — two,  right  side  up,  according  to  the 
order  of  creation;  and  the  middle  one  bottom  upward. 
Vessels  will  appear  to  be  sailing  in  the  air,  points  of  land 
bent  up  at  right-angles,  and  the  sun  at  setting  twisted  into 
astonishing  shapes. 

The  skies  and  the  waters  seem  to  harmonize  com- 
pletely together.  While  the  sky  daguerreotypes  all 
below,  the  water  catches  the  tints  of  all  that  is  above, 
and  the  ethereal  dome  is  caverned  in  the  deep.  Mr. 
Jackson,  United  States  geologist,  says  of  the  lake :  "  The 
color  of  the  water,  affected  by  the  hues  of  the  sky,  and 
holding  no  sediment  to  dim  its  transparency,  presents 
deeper  tints  than  are  seen  on  the  lower  lakes  —  deep  tints 
of  blue,  green,  and  red  prevailing,  according  to  the  color 
of  the  sky  and  clouds.  I  have  seen  at  sunset  the  surface 
of  the  lake  off  Isle  Royale  of  a  deep-claret  color — a  tint 
much  richer  than  ever  is  reflected  from  the  waters  of 
other  lakes,  or  in  any  other  country  I  have  visited." 

Lake  Superior,  unlike  Lake  Huron,  has  but  few  islands. 
The  largest  of  these  are  Grand  Island,  situated  near 
the  southern  shore,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  miles 
west  of  St.  Mary's,  and  represented  to  have  a  deep  and 
landlocked  harbor;  Middle  Island,  toward  the  westerly 


278  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

extremity  of  the  lake,  near  the  group  of  Apostle 
Islands;  and  Isle  Royale,  near  the  northern  shore,  and 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  Isle  Royale 
is  about  forty  miles  long,  and  averages  six  miles  in  width. 
It  is  a  most  interesting  island,  "  singularly  formed,  and 
sending  out  long  spits  of  rocks  into  the  lake  at  its  north- 
eastern extremity;  while  at  its  south-western  end,  it 
shelves  off  far  into  the  lake,  presenting  slightly-inclined 
beds  of  red  sandstone ;  the  tabular  sheets  of  wThich,  for 
miles  from  the  coast,  are  barely  covered  with  water,  and 
offer  dangerous  shoals  and  reefs,  on  which  vessels,  and 
even  boats  would  be  quickly  stranded,  if  they  endeavored 
to  pass  near  that  shore."  But  igneous  rocks  constitute 
the  rocky  basis  of  more  than  four-fifths  of  the  island,  and 
in  those  portions  of  it  where  these  exist,  the  shores  are 
precipitous.  "Bold  cliffs  of  columnar  trap  and  castellated 
rocks,  with  mural  escarpments,  sternly  present  themselves 
to  the  surf,  and  defy  the  storms.  The  waters  of  the  lake 
are  deep  close  to  their  very  shores,  and  the  largest  ship 
might  in  many  places  lie  close  to  the  rocks,  as  at  an  arti- 
ficial pier." 

Isle  Royale  contains  a  great  number  of  beautiful  lakes, 
the  largest  of  which  is  Siskawit  Lake,  on  the  southern 
side,  near  Siskawit  Bay.  It  is  also  surrounded  by  innu- 
merable small  islands,  which  cluster  close  to  its  shores,  as 
if  for  protection  from  the  waves.  Mr.  Jackson,  before 
referred  to,  gives  the  following  interesting  description  of 
the  general  appearance  of  Isle  Royale:  "Added  to  the 
fantastic  irregularities  of  the  coast  and  its  castle-like 
islands  —  the  abrupt  elevation  of  the  hills  inland  rising 
like  almost  perpendicular  walls  from  the  shores  of  the 
numerous  beautiful  lakes  which  are  scattered  through  the 
interior  of  the  island,  and  corresponding  with  the  lines  of 
mountain  upheaval — we  observe  occasionally  rude  crags 


PERENNIAL  ICE.  279 

detached  from  the  main  body  of  the  mountains,,  and,  in 
one  place,  two  lofty  twin  towers,  standing  on  a  hillside, 
and  rising  perpendicularly,  like  huge  chimneys,  to  the 
elevation  of  seventy  feet,  while  they  are  surrounded  by 
the  deep-green  foliage  of  the  primeval  forest." 

In  the  secluded  valleys  between  the  hills  of  Isle 
Royale  there  are  either  little  lakes,  or  swamps  filled  with 
a  dense  growth  of  white  cedars.  Upon  the  higher  lands, 
the  timber  is  a  mixture  of  maple,  birch,  spruce,  fir,  and 
pine  trees,  which  are  of  thrifty  growth,  and  will  afford 
both  timber  and  fuel.  The  soil  of  more  than  nine-tenths 
of  the  island  is  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  the  trap 
rocks ;  and  such  a  soil  is  well-known  to  be  warm  and 
fertile.  In  the  lowlands,  the  springs  from  the  hills  will 
keep  the  soil  cold  and  wet ;  but  if  properly  drained,  there 
is  no  doubt  those  lands  might  be  cultivated,  and  would 
produce  good  crops.  Indeed,  this  is  said  to  have  been 
proved  in  the  vicinity  of  Eock  Harbor,  where  the  lowland 
soil,  which  was  originally  covered  with  swamp-muck,  is 
now  drained  and  made  productive. 

In  the  deep  shadow  of  the  crags,  and  in  some  of  the 
thick  swamps  of  cedar,  it  is  said  that  perennial  ice  has 
been  found  upon  the  island;  and  on  the  immediate  rocky 
border  of  the  lake  shore,  the  influence  of  the  wintry  winds 
from  the  lake  is  strikingly  exemplified  in  the  stunted 
growth  of  the  fir  and  spruce  trees,  that  get  root  in  the 
crevices  of  the  rocks.  Mr.  Jackson  says  :  "  In  numer- 
ous instances,  we  were  able  to  witness  the  joint  effects  of 
cold  air  and  a  limited  supply  of  soil,  in  retarding  the 
growth  of  trees,  and  giving  the  wood  an  extremely  fine 
texture.  Small  trees  have  sprung  up,  having  all  the 
appearance  of  age  which  the  dwarfed  trees  raised  by  the 
ingenious  Chinese  gardener  are  known  to  present.  Those 
little  trees,  from  four  inches  to  a  foot  high,  are  covered  with 


280  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

mosses  like  old  trees,  and  the  tiny  stem  presents  in  its 
bark  and  wood,  the  different  layers,  representing  many 
seasons.  In  cutting  through  these  little  trees,  they  were 
found,  in  some  instances,  to  possess  forty  different  annual 
rings ;  and  the  wood  was  nearly  as  hard  as  boxwood,  and 
as  fine!"^ 

Rock  Harbor,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  north-easterly 
end  of  Isle  Royale,  is  the  largest  and  most  beautiful 
haven  on  Lake  Superior.  The  bay  extends  about  four 
miles  up  into  the  island.  The  water  is  deep  enough  for 
any  vessels,  and  the  harbor  is  perfectly  sheltered  from 
every  wind.  Around  its  entrance  are  numerous  islands, 
that  stand  like  so  many  rocky  castles  to  break  the  heavy 
surges  of  the  lake.  "  In  some  respects  it  resembles  the 
Bay  of  Naples,  with  Procida,Capri,  and  Ischia,  at  its 
entrance ;  but  no  modern  volcano  completes  the  back- 
ground of  the  picture,  though  there  must  at  one  time 
have  been  greater  eruptions  there  than  ever  took  place 
in  Italy." 

Lake  Superior  is  fed  by  about  eighty  streams,  which 
are  represented  to  be  not  navigable,  except  for  canoes, 
owing  to  the  falls  and  rapids  with  which  they  abound. 
The  principal  ones  that  flow  through  American  territory 
are  the  St.  Louis,  Montreal,  Presque  Isle,  Arrow,  Little 
Montreal,  Ontonagon,  Eagle,  Sturgeon,  Huron,  Dead, 
Carp,  Chocolate,  La  Prairie,  Two-hearted,  and  Tequam- 
encn  rivers.  The  largest  of  these  are  the  Ontonagon  and 
Sturgeon  rivers,  which,  by  the  removal  of  some  obstruc- 
tions at  their  mouths,  and  the  construction  of  piers  to 
prevent  the  formation  of  bars,  might  be  converted  into 
excellent  and  spacious  harbors,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  some  of  the  most  valuable  mines,  where  the  want  of 
safe  anchorage  is  now  severely  felt ;  as  at  Eagle  Harbor, 
for  instance,  where  the  propellers  have  to  cast  anchor 


EIVERS  OP  THE   SUPERIOR   REGION.  281 

over  a  hundred  yards  out,  and  the  copper  intended  for 
shipment  has  to  be  first  placed  on  board  of  a  scow,  on 
which  passengers  also  take  a  position,  and  then  floated 
out  to  the  propellers.  The  copper  is  raised  on  board  by 
means  of  a  crane,  which  is  stationary  upon  the  side  of 
the  vessel. 

The  Twin  River,  or  Two-hearted  River,  as  it  is  called 
by  the  traders,  consists  in  the  union  of  two  separate 
streams,  near  the  point  of  its  outlet.  It  empties  into  the 
lake  seventy-two  miles  westward  of  St.  Mary's.  A  short 
distance  beyond  Grand  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  a  small 
stream  known  as  Laughing-fish  River,  a  curious  flux  and 
reflux  of  the  water  is  maintained,  similar  to  the  tides  of 
the  ocean.  At  the  mouth  of  Chocolate  River,  there  is  a 
large  bay  setting  up  deep  into  the  shore,  which  requires  a 
day's  canoe-travel  to  circumnavigate  it.  Just  beyond 
that,  the  traveler  will  first  strike  the  old  crystaline  rocks, 
or  primitive  formation.  From  hence,  for  two  days'  travel 
to  Huron  Bay,  the  shore  presents  a  continuous  series  of 
rough,  conical  peaks,  which  are  noted  for  immense  bodies 
of  iron  ore,  chiefly  in  the  condition  of  iron  glance,  from 
which  the  extensive  iron-works  of  Carp  River,  seated  at 
the  foot  of  these  mountains,  are  yielding  such  fine  blooms. 
Continuing  on  westward  across  Keweenaw  Bay,  the  canoe 
voyager  will  enter  Portage  Lake,  embosomed  near  the 
base  of  Keweenaw  Point,  and,  with  a  short  portage,  will 
reach  the  lake  west  of  the  Point  without  the  toil  and  dis- 
tance of  circumnavigating  it.  And,  in  doing  so,  he  will 
observe  that  the  geology  of  the  country  has  become 
entirely  changed.  He  will  have  passed  into  the  midst  of 
a  region  of  trap-dike — the  great  copper-bearing  rock  of 
Lake  Superior.  Passing  onward  along  the  lake,  the  dim- 
blue  outlines  of  the  Porcupine  Mountains  will  rise  to 
view  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  directly  ahead.  These 


282  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

mountains,  on  a  clear  day,  may  be  seen  from  a  distance 
of  sixty  miles.  Soon  the  voyager  will  be  traversing  the 
entrances  of  Little  Salmon,  Graverod,  Misery,  and  Fire- 
steel  rivers,  to  the  mouth  of  Ontonagon  River,  where  a 
large  body  of  water  enters  the  lake ;  but  the  mouth  of  the 
river  is  very  much  obstructed  by  a  sand-bar.  There, 
likewise,  may  be  observed  another  of  those  curious 
refluxes,  where  the  water,  impeded  and  dammed  up  by 
gales,  reacts  with  unusual  force. 

The  following  table  of  distances  is  made  up  from  the 
statements  of  voyagers,  and  is  supposed  to  be  exagger- 
ated by  about  one-third,  as  that  class  of  men  always  pride 
themselves  on  going  long  distances.  Nevertheless,  the 
table  may  be  of  value. 

WHOLB  No 
MILES.       OF  MILES. 

From  Michilimackinac  to  Detour,  .  40 

Sault  Ste.  Marie, 45  85 

Point  aux  Pius 6  91 

Point  Iroquois,  entrance  to  Lake 

Superior, 9  100 

Tequamenon  River, 15  1]5 

Shelldrake  River, 9  124 

White  Fish  Point, 9  133 

Two-hearted  River 24  157 

Grande  Marrais, 21  178 

La  Point  la  Grand  Sables,  ...  9  187 

Pictured  Rocks, 12  199 

Miner's  River 6  205 

Grande  Island, 12  217 

River  aux  Trains, 9  226 

Isle  aux  Trains, 3  229 

Laughing-fish  River, 6  235 

Chocolate  River, 15  250 

Dead  River,  and  Presque  Isle  Bay,  6  256 


TABLE   OP   DISTANCES.  283 

'WHOLE  No. 
MILES.    OP  MILKS. 

Granite  Point, 6  .  262 

Garlic  River, . 9  .  271 

St.  John's  Eiver,    .     .     .     .    .     .  15  .286 

Salmon  River, 12  .  298 

Pine  River, 6  .  304 

Huron  River, 9  .  313 

East  Cape  of  Keweenaw  Bay,       .  6  .  319 

Mouth  of  Portage  River,      .     .     .  21  .340 

Head  of  Portage  River,       ...  24  .  364 
Lake  Superior,  at  the  end  of  the 

Portage 1  .  365 

Little  Salmon  River., 9  .  374 

Graverod  River, 6  .  380 

Misery  River 12  .  392 

Firesteel  River, 18  .  410 

Ontonagon  River, 5  .  416 

In  crossing  the  St.  Mary's  Strait,  from  Point  aux  Pius 
to  Point  Iroquois,  the  first  view  of  Lake  Superior  is  to 
be  had,  affording  one  of  the  most  pleasing  prospects  in 
the  world.  The  St.  Mary's  River  passes  out  of  the  lake 
between  two  prominent  capes ;  viz,  Gros  Cape  and  Point 
Iroquois.  The  former  rises  up  in  high,  barren  peaks,  of 
hornblende  rock;  the  latter  consists  of  elevated  masses 
of  red  sandstone,  covered  with  a  dense  forest. 

The  La  Grand  Sables  is  an  interesting  feature  of  the 
lake  coast.  The  shore  consists  of  "several  heavy  strata 
of  the  drift  era,  reaching  a  hight  of  two  or  three  hun- 
dred feet,  with  a  precipitous  front  on  the  lake.  The  sands, 
driven  up  by  the  waters,  are  blown  over  these  hights, 
forming  a  heavy  deposit.  It  is  this  sandy  deposit,  falling 
down  the  face  of  the  precipice,  that  appears  to  convert 
the  whole  formation  into  dunes,  whereon  the  sandy  coat- 


284  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

ing  rests  like  a  vail.  The  number  of  rapacious  birds, 
which  are  observed  about  these  hights,  adds  to  the  interest 
of  the  prospect." 

The  pictured  rocks  of  Lake  Superior  will  always  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  tourist.  That  coast  of  rocks  is 
twelve  miles  in  length,  consisting  of  a  gray  sandstone, 
and  presenting  perpendicular  walls,  which  have  been 
worn  by  the  waves  into  pillared  masses,  and  cavernous 
arches.  These  caverns  yawn  into  the  face  of  the  cliff, 
and  the  winds  howl,  and  the  waves  roar  around  their 
mouths.  A  small  river  leaps  from  the  top  of  the  preci- 
pice clear  into  the  lake.  At  one  place  the  "  Doric  Rock," 
a  vast  entablature,  rests  on  two  immense  water-worn  pil- 
lars. At  another  place,  the  precipice  has  been  completely 
undermined,  so  that  it  rests  solely  on  a  single  massive 
column,  standing  in  the  water.  The  dark-red  clay,  over- 
laying the  rocks  above,  has  been  washed  by  the  rains 
down  the  face  of  the  precipice,  and,  being  blended  with 
the  sand  and  dust  blown  about  by  the  winds,  presents  a 
pictorial  appearance.  Schoolcraft  says:  "We  almost 
held  our  breath  in  passing  that  coast." 

The  Ontonagon  River,  for  four  miles  up  from  its 
mouth,  is  broad  and  deep,  having  a  gentle  current,  flowing 
through  a  winding  channel,  between  banks  that  are  heav- 
ily wooded,  the  dark-green  foliage  overhanging  the  water. 
A  long,  narrow  island  divides  the  river  into  two  channels, 
through  which  the  current  flows  slowly  and  tranquilly  to 
the  lake.  The  stream  above  is  broken  by  frequent  rapids. 
The  soil  of  the  Ontonagon,  near  its  mouth,  is  coarse  and 
sandy ;  but  it  is  said  to  be  productive  of  garden  vegeta- 
bles. Further  up  the  river  the  soil  becomes  clayey  and 
loamy  —  very  suitable  for  cultivation.  Several  mining 
companies  have  locations  on  this  river ;  but  at  its  mouth 
the  land  is  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  government.  The 


IRON,    COPPER,    AND    SILVER   MINES.  28-5 

banks  are  from  seven  to  ten  feet  high,  supporting  a  fine 
growth  of  elm,  whitewood,  sugar-maple,  birch,  spruce, 
white-pine,  and  cedar;  also,  gooseberries  and  raspberries. 
'  The  Montreal  River  forms  the  boundary  between  Mich- 
igan and  Wisconsin.  It  presents  many  attractions  for  the 
admirers  of  picturesque  scenery,  and  exhibits  the  most 
beautiful  waterfalls  any  where  to  be  found  along  the  en- 
tire coast  of  Lake  Superior.  A  little  way  above  its 
mouth,  and  within  sight  of  the  lake,  the  red  sandstone 
rocks  have  a  northerly  dip  of  seventy  degrees ;  and  over 
this  ledge,  the  river  is  precipitated  eighty  feet,  into  a  deep 
circular  basin,  the  sides  of  which  have  been  excavated  by 
the  rushing  waters  into  a  spacious  amphitheater.  About 
three  miles  further  up  the  river,  in  a  direct  line  from  the 
lake,  is  a  second  waterfall,  said  to  be  fully  as  beautiful 
as  the  first. 

Sturgeon  River  rises  in  the  country  to  the  south  of  the 
head  of  Keweenaw  Bay ;  and,  running  northerly,  empties 
into  Portage  Lake.  This  lake  is  connected  with  Superior 
by  Portage  River,  which  may  be  ascended  by  vessels 
drawing  eight  feet  of  water,  and  to  the  head  of  the  lake, 
twenty  miles  inland.  Those  streams,  together  with 
the  Montreal  River,  are  famous  for  their  sturgeon  fisher- 
ies. All  the  rivers  that  flow  into  Lake  Superior,  at  a 
little  distance  inland,  become  very  rapid,  broken  by  fre- 
quent waterfalls,  furnishing  water-power  in  great  abun- 
dance. The  bights  of  land  between  Portage  Lake  and 
Montreal  River  vary  from  six  hundred  feet  to  thirteen 
hundred  feet  in  bight. 

The  Superior  country  is  celebrated  alike  for  its  iron,  its 
copper,  and  its  silver.  It  can  never  become  much  of  an 
agricultural  country ;  but  its  mineral  resources  are  very 
great,  beyond  the  power  of  calculation.  The  country  has 
been  explored  just  sufficiently  to  enable  us  to  form  a 
la  3 


286  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

mere  rough  guess  as  to  its  capability  of  producing  the 
most  valuable  metals  in  constant  use  by  man.  The  iron 
occupies  a  region  distinct  by  itself.  The  copper  and 
silver  are  found  blended  together. 

The  iron  region  of  Lake  Superior,  no  less  than  the 
copper  region,  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  It 
commences  along  the  coast  of  the  lake,  with  the  meta- 
morphic  rocks,  extending  from  the  Chocolate  River  to  the 
Dead  River,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  following  the  shore, 
and  sweeps  away  southerly,  and  westerly  across  the 
branches  of  the  Menominee  River — the  Machi-gamig  and 
the  Brule  —  and  the  Sturgeon  River,  and  the  Esconaba 
River,  that  empties  into  Little  Bay  de  Noquet,  near  the 
head  of  Green  Bay.  Now,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that 
the  Chocolate  River  comes  into  Lake  Superior  from  the 
south-east,  and  the  Dead  River  from  the  west.  On  the 
meridian  intersecting  the  mouth  of  the  Dead  River,  the 
iron-bearing  rocks  extend  directly  south  more  than  eleven 
miles ;  and  on  that  of  the  Jackson  Forge,  nine  miles 
west  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  iron  region  is  some 
fourteen  miles  in  width.  Its  western  limit  has  not  been 
determined ;  but  it  must  be  far  within  the  borders  of  Wis- 
consin, having  been  traced  in  that  direction  nearly  one 
hundred  miles.  The  northern  limit  is  nearly  on  a  line 
drawn  due  west  from  the  mouth  of  the  Dead  River.  The 
southerly  limit  also,  from  the  Chocolate  River,  runs  pretty 
much  straight,  west,  till  beyond  the  Esconaba,  where  it 
turns  off  south  along  the  Machi-gamig,  and  crosses  the 
Menominee.  There  the  width  of  the  iron  region  is  known 
to  be  more  than  fifty  miles.  This  valuable  mineral  tract 
has  been  but  partially  explored,  and  no  sufficient  data 
have  been  furnished  to  estimate  exactly  its  area. 

There  is  the  most  abundant  authority,  however,  for 
saying,  that  the  iron  of  the  Superior  country  is  both 


IRON   ORE. 

rich  and  inexhaustible.  The  following  statements,  con- 
densed from  the  reports  made  by  the  persons  engaged 
in  the  United  States  geological  survey  of  the  mineral 
lands,  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  extent  and  quality  of 
the  ore. 

The  first  bed  of  magnetic  ore  is  situated  near  the 
Menominee  River,  and  in  the  direction  of  Fort  River,  a 
branch  of  the  Esconaba,  at  the  corner  of  townships  forty- 
one  and  forty-two,  north,  and  between  ranges  twenty-nine 
and  thirty,  west.  It  was  found  in  a  low  ridge,  some  three 
chains  in  width,  which  appeared  to  be  one  mass  of  iron 
ore,  stratified  and  jointed.  The  ore  has  generally  a 
granular  structure;  color,  iron-black,  passing  into  steel- 
gray;  luster,  when  fresh  broken,  metallic,  but  soon 
oxydizes,  upon  exposure  to  the  atmosphere. 

The  second  bed  of  ore  is  situated  on  the  east  boundary 
of  township  forty-six  north,  range  thirty  west,  sections 
one  and  six,  along  the  south-western  shore  of  a  small  lake, 
in  the  Machi-gamig  River.  The  extent  of  this  bed  of  ore 
is  unknown;  but  it  borders  that  side  of  the  lake,  from 
twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  hight.  The  ore  is  likewise  stratified 
and  jointed,  so  that  it  may  be  quarried  with  ease.  In  color 
and  luster,  it  resembles  the  first — fresh  fractures  appearing 
like  fine-grained  cast-iron.  Now.  this  bed  of  ore  extends 
along  through  a  range  of  hills  on  the  north-easterly  side 
also  of  that  lake,  to  an  unknown  extent,  and  in  a  mass'so 
great  as  to  stagger  belief.  Let  the  surveyor  speak  for 
himself:  "  The  river  here  forms  a  lake-like  expansion,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  north-east  by  a  range  of  hills,  which 
rise  abruptly  to  the  hight  of  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
water.  We  explored  this  ridge,  and%  found  that  it  was 
composed,  -for  the  most  part,  of  nearly  pure  specular  oxyd 
of  iron.  It  shoots  up  in  a  perpendicular  cliff,  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  feet  in  hight,  so  pure,  that  it  is  difficult  to 


288  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

determine  its  mineral  associations.  We  passed  along  the 
base  of  this  cliff  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  seek- 
ing for  a  gap,  through  which  we  might  pass,  and  gain  the 
summit.  At  length,  and  by  clambering  from  one  point  to 
another,  we  succeeded.  Passing  along  the  brow  of  the 
cliff,  forty  feet,  the  mass  was  comparatively  pure;  then 
succeeded  a  bed  of  quartz,  composed  of  grounded  grains, 
with  small  specks  of  iron  disseminated,  and  large,  rounded 
masses  of  the  same  material  inclosed,  constituting  a 
conglomerate.  This  bed  was  fifteen  feet  in  thickness,  and 
was  succeeded  again  by  specular  iron,  exposed  in  places 
to  the  width  of  one  hundred  feet;  but  the  soil  and  trees 
prevented  our  determining  its  entire  width.  This  one 
cliff  contains  iron  sufficient  to  supply  the  world  for  ages ; 
yet  we  saw  neither  its  length  nor  its  width,  but  only  an 
outline  of  the  mass." 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  suggest,  that  the  best  possible 
use  that  can  be  made  of  the  capital  afloat  in  the  import- 
ing trade,  would  be  to  make  one  more  investment  in  Eng- 
lish railroad  iron,  to  lay  a  track  from  Green  Bay  up  the 
Esconaba  River,  which  reaches  within  a  mile  of  this 
mountain  of  iron,  and  make  it  accessible.  Whoever  will 
do  this  will  do  more  to  promote  the  wealth  of  the  country 
than  ever  has  yet  been  done  by  opening  mines ;  for  iron  is 
the  most  valuable  mineral  on  the  continent,  despite  the 
copper  further  north,  and  the  gold  of  California.  Set 
this  native  mountain  of  ore  once  to  running,  and  it  will 
flow  throughout  the  earth,  superseding  the  iron  of  all 
other  countries. 

The  third  bed  of  ore  is  situated  on  the  east  boundary 
of  township  forty:seven  north,  range  twenty-nine  west, 
near  section  thirteen,  in  another  cliff,  facing  south-west, 
and  varying  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  hight.  The  ore 
is  stratified  and  jointed,  and  in  quality  similar  to  the 


THE   IRON   REGION.  289 

other  beds.  The  extent  of  this  bed  is  likewise  unknown. 
Thirteen  chains  distant,  south-south-west,  from  the  main 
mass,  on  the  shore  of  a  pond,  the  ore  rises  above  the 
surface  in  the  form  of  a  knob,  thirty  feet  in  hight. 

The  fourth  bed  of  ore  is  near  the  south  boundary  of 
township  forty-eight  north,  range  twenty-eight  west, 
on  section  four,  consisting  of  a  knob  of  iron  fifty  feet 
in  hight. 

The  fifth  bed  of  ore  is  in  the  next  township  west  of  the 
fourth  bed,  on  section  thirty-two,  consisting  of  a  ridge  of 
iron  ore  eight  feet  in  hight.  It  was  traced  seventy-five 
chains.  This  bed  is  very  extensive,  and  highly  magnetic. 
In  quality  it  is  similar  to  the  others. 

In  this  manner  the  surveyors  proceed  to  enumerate  ore- 
bed  after  ore-bed,  throughout  the  various  townships  of 
that  great  mineral  tract.  The  foregoing  is  probably  suf- 
ficient to  satisfy  the  reader  of  the  existence  of  exhaust- 
less  beds  of  that  ore  in  the  Superior  country.  With  the 
mention  of  one  more  ore-bed,  this  enumeration  shall 
cease.  It  is  referred  to  because  it  is  much  nearer  the 
Chocolate  River  than  the  others,  being  directly  south  of 
the  Jackson  furnace  six  miles,  in  township  forty-seven, 
range  twenty-six,  sections  twenty-nine,  thirty,  thirty-one, 
and  thirty-two.  There  are  two  hills  of  the  ore,  made  up 
almost  entirely  of  granulated,  magnetic,  or  specular  iron, 
with  small  quantities  of  spathous  and  micaceous  iron. 
The  more  northerly  hill  extends  east  and  west  full  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  and  is  over  one  thousand  feet  in  width  — 
a  single  mass  of  ore.  The  ore  breaks  readily  into  sub- 
rhomboidal  fragments,  in  such  manner  as  will  greatly 
facilitate  the  operations  of  mining. 

In  conclusion,  the  geologists  say:  "This  iron  region  ia 
the  most  valuable  and  extensive  in  the  world  for  the  man- 
ufacture Qf  the  finer  varieties  of  wrought-iron  and  steel. 


290  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

When  we  consider  the  immense  extent  of  the  district,  the 
mountain  masses  of  the  ore,  its  purity  and  adaptation  to 
the  manufacture  of  the  most  valuable  kinds  of  iron,  and 
the  immense  forests  which  cover  the  surface,  suitable  for 
charcoal,  this  district  may  be  pronounced  unrivaled.  The 
ore  consists  mainly  of  the  specular,  or  peroxyd  of  iron, 
an  admixture  of  the  fine-grained  magnetic.  In  some  in- 
stances, the  whole  ridge,  or  knob,  appears  to  consist  of 
one  mass  of  pure  ore — so  pure  that  no  selection  is 
required;  but  an  unlimited  quantity  might  be  quarried,  or 
picked  up  in  loose  blocks  around  the  slopes.  In  others,  the 
ore  is  mixed  with  seams  of  quartz  or  jasper,  which  ren- 
ders it  less  valuable,  and  requires  some  care  for  the 
selection.  The  iron  in  such  cases  presents  a  banded  or 
contorted  structure,  or  alternating  seams  of  steel-gray 
and  brilliant  red.  The  appearance  of  a  mountain  cliff, 
thus  made  up,  is  extraordinary.  The  iron  mountain 
of  Missouri  becomes  insignificant  compared  with  these 
immense  deposits." 

The  surveyors  report  some  good  agricultural  lands  in 
this  district.  The  following  table  will  show  the  location 
of  them,  viz.: 

Townships  42  north,  in  ranges  32,  33,  34,  and  35  west. 

Townships  43  north,  in  ranges  32,  33,  34,  and  35  west. 

Townships  47  north,  in  ranges  27  and  28  west. 

Townships  48  north,  in  ranges  27  and  28  west. 

Townships  49  north,  in  ranges  32,  33,  34,  and  35  west. 

Townships  50  north,  in  ranges  29,  30,  31,  32,  33,  34, 
and  35  west. 

These  tracts  of  fertile  land  will  become  of  great  value, 
when  the  rivers  shall  have  been  opened,  and  a  mining 
population  introduced,  creating  a  sure  and  convenient 
home-market  for  the  productions  of  the  farm. 

This  bountiful  iron  region,  in  most  part,  sustains  a 


COPPER  MINES.  291 

heavy  growth  of  maple,  birch,  pine,  and  oak  timber;  and 
the  streams,  numerous  and  rapid,  supply  any  amount  .of 
water-power.  If  a  railroad  was  constructed  from  Little 
Bay  de  Noquet,  on  Green  Bay,  to  Keweenaw  Bay,  on  Lake 
Superior,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  ten  miles,  through 
the  heart  of  the  iron  region,  those  extensive  ore-beds 
would  be  left  no  longer  unoccupied  and  useless.  It  would 
seem  to  be  like  offering  an  indignity  to  Providence  to 
neglect  the  development  of  such  magnificent  resources, 
placed  within  the  borders  of  the  United  States. 

Next  in  importance,  after  the  iron,  is  the  copper  of  the 
Superior  country.  The  region  where  that  metal  is  found, 
along  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake,  is  described,  as  fol- 
lows, by  Messrs.  Foster  and  Whitney,  United  States 
geologists :  "  The  examination  of  a  great  number  of 
localities  has  demonstrated  that  the  veins  of  copper,  and 
its  ores,  in  the  sandstone  and  conglomerate,  are  not  to  be 
relied  on,  and  that  when  worked,  even  to  an  inconsiderable 
depth,  they  give  out.  Although  copper  is  found  at  short 
intervals,  from  the  Pictured  Rocks  to  the  Montreal  River, 
in  this  rock,  yet  we  have  designated  no  tract  in  it  as 
mineral  land.  As  all  the  productive  lodes  are  confined 
to  the  ranges  of  trap,  all  of  the  mineral  tracts  designated 
lie  within  those  ranges.  What  is  generally  known  as  the 
trap-range,  consists  of  a  belt  of  igneous  rocks,  composed 
for  the  most  part  of  hornblende  and  feldspar,  which  in 
places  have  broken  through  the  sandstones,  tilting  them 
up  at  high  angles ;  but  oftener  are  found  in  alternating 
beds,  having  the  same  dip  as  the  detrital  rocks.  The  trap 
range  extends  from  Montreal  River — the  western  bound- 
ary of  the  district — and  disappears  in  the  lake  at  the 
extremity  of  Keweenaw  Point.  Its  general  course  is  a 
little  north  of  east,  preserving  a  pretty  uniform  parallel- 
ism with  the  southern  coast  of  Lake  Superior.  Its 


292  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

•width  varies  from  two  miles  to  twelve.  Throughout  this 
range — nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  extent  — 
copper,  mostly  native,  is  disseminated,  but  more  profusely 
in  some  places  than  others.  In  fact,  there  may  be  said  to 
exist  two  centers  of  metallic  riches,  around  each  of  which 
copper  has  been  accumulated  in  considerable  quantity, 
but  under  circumstances  somewhat  different.  The  one 
may  be  designated  as  the  Keweenaw  Point  center,  which 
has  a  system  of  veins  cutting  across  the  trap-range.  The 
other  may  be  designated  as  the  Ontonagon  center;  and 
here  the  veins  preserve  a  certain  parallelism  with  the 
ranges,  or  run  with  the  formation." 

The  red  sandstone  and  conglomerate  rocks  of  Kewee- 
naw Point  undoubtedly  existed  long  before  the  trap- 
rocks  were  pushed  up  through  them,  and  were  produced 
by  the  deposition  of  fine  sand  and  pebbles  in  water ;  for 
the  ripple  marks  are  well  preserved,  and  record  this  fact 
in  the  most  absolute  and  positive  manner.  It  is  supposed 
that,  by  pressure  and  heat,  the  materials  of  a  loose,  shifting 
sand,  became  converted  into  a  solid  sandstone,  the  layers 
of  sand  forming  the  different  strata.  Previous  to  the 
action  of  the  disturbing  forces  from  beneath,  the  sand- 
stone must  have  been  composed  in  horizontal  layers,  as 
water  necessarily  deposits  a  mechanical  sediment  in  that 
manner.  But  the  sandstone  has  been  broken  through  by 
the  trap-rocks,  and  elevated  at  considerable  angles  along 
the  line  of  its  disruption.  It  is  plain,  that  the  forcing  of 
a  melted  mass  of  rocks  up  through  such  a  sedimentary 
strata  must  have  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the 
sediment  itself.  Accordingly,  it  is  found,  at  Keweenaw 
Point,  that  a  chemical  combination  took  place,  of  the 
material  of  the  sandstone  with  the  material  of  the  trap 
rocks,  along  the  line  of  junction,  resulting  in  the  forma- 
tion of  an  amygdaloid  rock.  And  between  the  sandstone 


COPPER   OP    SUPERIOR.  293 

and  the  trap  is  found  a  mass  of  broken,  indurated  sand- 
stone, scoria  of  fused  trap  and  sandstone,  amygdaloidal 
and  compact .  trap,  and  porphyry  ;  which  together  form, 
when  re-cemented  by  heat,  a  rock  known  as  trap-tuff  or 
breccia.  Near  Eagle  River,  the  trap  breccias  occupy  a 
considerable  space  between  the  sandstone  and  the  amyg- 
daloid; and  some  have  mistaken  them  for  a  conglomerate 
of  the  sandstones  in  that  vicinity.  And  when  the  trap 
rocks  conjoin  with  the  sandstone,  the  former  is  found  to 
be  amygdaloidal,  and  the  cavities  generally  filled  with 
chlorite,  in  particles  varying  in  size  from  a  pea  to  a  wal- 
nut. In  one  portion,  it  has  been  noticed  that,  whenever  a 
cavity  is  filled  with  chlorite,  a  granule  of  copper  will  be 
found  concealed  in  its  center;  but  nearer  the  copper  veins 
the  cavities  are  oftener  filled  with  pure  copper  or  silver, 
or  with  both  those  metals.  One  of  the  most  surprising 
features  of  the  trap  region  of  Lake  Superior  is  the  occur- 
rence of  veins  of  solid  metallic  copper,  admixed  with 
native  silver,  and  yet  not  alloyed  with  it.  Two  veins 
occurring  in  a  stratified  rock  generally  traverse  the  strata 
at  a  considerable  angle,  and  are  more  regular  than  those 
which  run  parallel  to  the  layers,  possessing  well-defined 
walls,  and  often  incrusted  with  vein-stone,  prehnite, 
quartz,  and  calcareous  spar.  The  rocky  fissure  is  filled 
;  with  vein-stones  of  different  kinds,  which,  together  with 
the  accompanying  minerals,  constitute  the  lode.  Some- 
times the  veins,  at  the  surface,  are  composed  entirely 
of  prehnite,  and  contain  only  minute  specks  of  copper 
inclosed  in  the  crystals,  or  sparsely  scattered  throughout 
the  mass.  Beneath  this  covering  of  vein-stones  is  found 
the  solid  metallic  copper  of  Lake  Superior. 

The  rocks  of  the  copper  region  have  been  elevated  to 
an  angle  of  about  forty  degrees,  inclining  to  the  north- 
west, by  the  terrific  forces  that  injected  the  molten  copper 
13* 


294  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

throughout  their  cracks  and  crevices.  Along  the  hill- 
sides, where,  by  reason  of  this  angular  elevation,  the  rocks 
are  made  to  out-crop  the  superincumbent  masses  of 
decayed  rock,  and  other  accumulations,  have  been  washed 
away  by  the  action  of  torrents ;  and  the  metal,  in  some 
places,  appears  at  the  surface.  Some  of  those  points, 
where  tbe  copper  is  thus  exposed,  would  seem  to  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Indians,  long  before  any 
white  man  ever  trod  the  bleak  and  sterile  shores  of  Lake 
Superior.  Along  the  banks  of  the  Ontonagon  River  have 
been  found  the  ancient  mines,  to  which  the  tribes  must 
have  resorted  for  a  supply  of  copper  for  the  manufacture 
of  tools  and  ornaments.  The  metal  was  very  highly 
prized  by  them;  and  pieces  of  native  copper  were  treasured 
up  with  great  care,  and  used  as  an  article  of  traffic.  It 
is  evident  that  the  aboriginal  miners  were  not  more 
advanced  toward  civilization  than  the  Indians  generally  ; 
because  the  mining  and  other  implements,  found  on  the 
Ontonagon  in  the  ancient  excavations,  are  precisely  similar 
to  those  which  are  known  to  have  been  in  use  among  the 
tribes  of  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  stone-hammers,  made 
of  oval  pebbles,  groved  about  the  middle,  for  withes, 
which  formed  the  handles,  were  the  native  instruments  for 
breaking  out  pieces  of  copper,,  on  Lake  Superior,  and  for 
breaking  the  hard  rocks  of  Moosehead  Lake  for  the  arrow 
and  spear-heads  of  the  eastern  Indians.  Such  hammers, 
together  with  half-finished  stone  scalping-knives,  have 
been  found  both  at  Ontonagon  and  at  Eagle  River.  The 
Indian  miner  also  assisted  the  operation  of  breaking  the 
rocks  by  kindling  fires  upon  them;  and  hence  the  origir 
of  the  charred  brands  and  coal  that  have  been  found 
around  the  battered  and  beaten  projections  of  copper. 

The   Lake    Superior  was   greatly  reverenced   by  the 
Indians  inhabiting  its  shores  at  the  time  of  the  early 


MR.  HENRY  VISITS  THE  COPPER  REGION.         295 

explorations  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  Claude  Allouez 
says,  respecting  this  superstition:  "The  savages  respect 
this  lake  as  a  divinity,  and  make  sacrifices  to  it;  on 
account  perhaps,  of  its  magnitude,  for  it  is  two  hundred 
leagues  long  and  eighty  wide;  or  on  account  of  its  good- 
ness in  -furnishing  them  with  fishes,  which  nourish  all  these 
people,  where  there  is  but  little  game.  There  are  often 
found,  beneath  the  water,  pieces  of  copper,  all  formed,  and 
of  the  weight  of  ten  and  twenty  pounds.  I  have  seen 
them  many  times  in  the  hands  of  the  savages ;  and  as  they 
are  superstitious,  they  keep  them  as  so  many  divinities,  or 
as  presents  from  the  gods  beneath  the  water,  who  have 
given  them  as  pledges  of  good  fortune.  On  that  account, 
they  keep  the  pieces  of  copper  enveloped  among  their 
most  precious  furniture.  There  are  some  who  have  pre- 
served them  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  others  who 
have  had  them  in  their  families  from  time  immemorial,  and 
cherish  them  as  household  gods." 

The  first  Englishman  that  ever  visited  the  copper  re- 
gion was  Alexander  Henry,  who,  after  having  his  hair 
almost  started  out  of  his  head  at  the  frightful  massacre 
of  Michilimackinac,  continued  in  the  Superior  country  for 
several  years,  poking  about  among  its  ravines  and  preci- 
pices with  a  most  refreshing  indifference  to  danger.  One  or 
two  extracts  from  his  journal  will  show  what  he  saw  there. 

"On  the  19th  of  August,  1765,  we  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Ontonagon  River,  one  of  the  largest  on  the  south 
side  of  the  lake.  At  the  mouth  was  an  Indian  village; 
and  three  leagues  above,  a  fall,  at  the  foot  of  which 
sturgeon,  at  this  season,  were  obtained  so  abundant,  that 
a  month's  subsistence  for  a  regiment  could  have  been 
taken  in  a  few  hours.  But  I  found  this  river  chiefly  re- 
markable for  the  abundance  of  virgin  copper  which  is  on 
its  banks  and  in  its  neighborhood. 


296  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

"  On  my  way  back  to  Michilimackinac,  I  encamped  a 
second  time  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ontonagon  River,  and 
now  took  the  opportunity  of  going  ten  miles  up  the  river 
with  Indian  guides.  The  object  for  which  I  most  ex- 
pressly went,  and  to  which  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  being 
led,  was  a  mass  of  copper  of  the  weight,  according  to  my 
estimate,  of  no  less  than  five  tons.  Such  was  its  pure 
and  malleable  state,  that,  with  an  ax,  I  was  able  to  cut 
off  a  portion  weighing  a  hundred  pounds.  On  viewing 
the  surrounding  surface,  I  conjectured  that  the  mass,  at 
some  period  or  other,  had  rolled  down  the  side  of  a  lofty 
hill  which  rises  at  its  back."  This  copper  rock  has  been 
removed  to  Washington,  and  may  now  be  seen  lying  on 
the  ground  near  the  War  Department. 

That  same  enterprising  explorer  was  also  the  first  to 
organize  a  Lake  Superior  Mining  Company.  In  1770, 
Messrs.  Baxter,  Bostwick,  and  Henry  built  a  barge  at 
Point  aux  Pius,  and  laid  the  keel  of  a  sloop  of  forty  tons. 
They  were  in  search  of  gold  and  silver,  and  expected  to 
make  their  fortunes.  The  other  partners  in  England 
were  "His  Royal  Highness,  the  Duke  of  Gloucester;  Mr. 
Secretary  Townshend;  Sir  Samuel  Tuchet,  Bart.;  Mr. 
Baxter,  consul  of  the  Empress  of  Russia ;  and  Mr.  Cruik- 
shank :  in  America,  Sir  William  Johnson,  Bart. ;  Mr. 
Bostwick ;  Mr  Baxter,  and  myself.  A  charter  had  been 
petitioned  for,  and  obtained ;  but,  owing  to  our  ill  success, 
it  was  never  taken  from  the  seal-office."  Mr.  Baxter 
sold  the  sloop  and  other  effects  of  the  company,  and  paid 
its  debts,  which  certainly  was  a  most  commendable  fea- 
ture of  their  operations.  Lake  Superior  seems  then  to 
have  been  abandoned,  and  its  mineral  resources  forgotten. 

Since  1845,  public  attention  has  been  again  drawn 
toward  the  Superior  country.  Its  mineral  lands  have 
been  surveyed,  affording  tolerably  accurate  information 


MINING    COMPANIES.  297 

of  the  localities  where  the  ores  of  copper,  and  iron,  and 
silver  abound.  A  large  number  of  mining  companies 
have  been  organized,  and  some  of  them  have  gone  into 
successful  operation.  It  kas  been  stated  that  there  are 
forty-one  companies  carrying  on  mining  operations  at 
Keweenaw  Point  alone,  among  which  are  the  following: 
Northwest,  S-iskowit,  Algonquin,  Piscataqua,  Onton- 
agon,  Bohemia,  Chesapeake,  and  Cape  —  eight,  having 
their  offices  in  Philadelphia;  the  Pittsburg  and  Boston, 
Northwestern,  North  American,  Iron  City,  Eureka,  Ohio 
Trap  Rock,  Colling,  Ohio,  Aztec,  Adventure,  Ridge,  and 
Fire-Steel  —  twelve,  having  their  offices  at  Pittsburg; 
the  Minesota,  Norwich,  Wheal  Kate,  Albion,  and 
Forest  —  five,  with  their  offices  in  New  York ;  the  Cop- 
per Falls,  Phoenix,  Winthrop,  Dana,  Douglass  Houghton, 
Quincey,  Alcomah,  Farm,  and  Toltec  —  nine,  with  their 
offices  in  Boston. 

The  belt  of  the  trap  rocks  on  Keweenaw  Point  is  three 
miles  in  width,  in  its  narrowest  part,  and  seven  miles  in 
its  widest.  It  underlies  seven  townships,  or,  more  exactly, 
two  hundred  and  seventeen  sections  of  land,  between  Por- 
tage Lake  and  the  extremity  of  the  promontory.  It  is 
exceedingly  rich  in  copper  and  silver.  The  country  is 
broken,  hilly,  and  irregular,  and  very  much  cut  up  by  the 
streams.  The  soil  is  represented  to  be  of  an  excellent 
quality  —  warm  and  fertile,  as  trappean  soils  generally 
are;  and  is  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  hard-wood 
forest-trees,  with  some  soft-wood.  The  forests  are  more 
open  than  those  on  the  adjacent  sandstone  rocks,  and  the 
timber  is  more  thrifty.  The  appearance  of  the  trap-rock 
is  quite  singular ;  for  the  melted  mass,  when  it  was  forced 
up  from  below,  did  not  burst  out  in  circular  spaces,  or 
through  cylindrical  chimneys,  like  lava  eruptions  of  mod- 
ern times;  but  intruded  itself  through  chasms  and  frac- 


298  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

tures  of  the  superincumbent  rocks,  frequently  overflowing 
them,  and  spreading  out  between  the  strata,  and  existing 
as  intervening  masses,  or  beds. 

At  the  Lake  Superior  Company's  mines,  shaft  number 
two,  passing  into  the  western  side  of  the  vein,  was  very  rich 
in  copper  and  silver  at  the  surface,  where  it  immediately 
bordered  upon  the  leader,  and  impoverished  as  it  left  it  in 
descending.  So,  after  working  downward,  for  a  time, 
through  barren  rock,  "the  miners  sent  off  a  level  toward 
the  river,  with  the  intention  of  striking  the  vein  under  the 
stream ;  but,  to  their  great  surprise,  opened  into  a  deep 
and  wide  ravine,  or  ancient  channel  of  the  river,  filled 
•with  great  masses  of  copper,  lumps  of  copper  and  silver 
mixed,  small  globules  of  pure  silver — all  rounded  and 
worn  by  the  action  of  running  water,  and  mixed  with 
sand,  gravel,  and  pebbles.  A  single  mass  of  silver  was 
obtained  from  this  ravine,  which  weighed  more  than  six 
pounds,  and  was  worth  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars." 
That  lump  of  silver  is  now  in  the  cabinet  of  the  United 
States  Mint,  at  Philadelphia.  Masses  of  copper  were 
also  found  in  that  ravine,  weighing  a  thousand  pounds. 
These  were  exported  to  France. 

The  Cliff  Mine,  belonging  to  the  Boston  and  Pitts- 
burg  Mining  Company,  is  situated  on  the  south-west 
branch  of  Eagle  River,  three  miles  from  the  office  of  the 
Lake  Superior  Company.  "The  Cliff  Mine,"  says  Mr. 
Jackson,  United  States  geologist,  "is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  known,  for  the  enormous  masses  of  native 
copper  it  contains.  One  of  the  masses,  now  got  out,  is 
estimated  at  fifty  tons  weight.  It  is  cut  by  means  of 
steel  chisels,  driven  by  blows  of  a  heavy  sledge-hammer — 
one  man  holding  the  chisel,  while  the  other  strikes  with 
the  sledge ;  a  groove  is  mortised  out  across  the  mass  of 


COPPER   MINING.  299 

copper ;  and  then  a  series  of  ribbons  of  it,  about  a  quarter 
of  ah  inch  in  thickness,  are  cut  out,  until  the  channel  thus 
mortised  divides  the  mass.  The  copper  is  perfectly  nial 
leable  and  ductile,  and  is  very  tough.  The  masses  of 
solid  copper  are  very  pure,  and  ought  to  yield  more  than 
ninety  per  cent,  of  refined  metal." 

To  get  out  such  huge  masses  of  copper,  a  place  is 
sought  in  the  shaft  where  a  hole  may  be  bored  into  the 
rock,  and  then  firing  a  heavy  blast.  This  starts  the  cop- 
per from  the  wall  of  rock,  and  sometimes  removes  it  en- 
tirely. It  is  then  cut  up  with  chisels.  This  vein  varies 
from  two  to  four  feet  in  width,  and  increases  in  width  and 
richness  as  it  descends  in  the  rock.  The  hight  of  the 
cliff  in  which  this  vein  is  seen,  is  nearly  three  hundred 
feet,  and  the  upper  exposure  of  the  veins,  two  hundred 
and  thirteen  feet.  The  top  of  the  cliff  is  seven  hundred 
feet  above  Lake  Superior. 

At  the  Copper  Falls  mines,  about  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  lake,  the  shafts  descend  perpendic- 
ularly into  the  rock  nearly  to  that  depth.  There  is  a  vein 
of  solid  copper.  The  sheets  of  copper  are  of  amazing 
dimensions.  Mr.  Jackson  says  :  "  One  of  the  masses  of 
copper  got  out  was  twenty  feet  long,  nine  feet  wide,  and 
from  four  to  six  inches  thick,  and  weighed,  by  estimation, 
ten  tons."  The  Copper  Falls  mines  are  exceedingly  rich 
in  silver.  In  many  parts  of  the  vein,  from  twenty-five  to 
one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  silver  is  contained  in  an 
hundred  weight  of  rock.  Mr.  Jackson  analyzed  a  rich 
specimen,  which  yielded  five  ounces  of  silver  to  six  pounds 
of  veinstone. 

The  largest  mass  of  copper  that  has  yet  been  removed, 
was  at  the  bottom  of  the  Cliff  Mine,  and  was  estimated 
to  weigh  eighty  tons.  It  was  pure  copper,  having  a  den- 


PRODUCTS  OF  COPPER  MINES.        301 

sity  equal  to  that  of  the  hammered  copper  of  commerce, 
and  much  tougher  than  that  which  is  obtained  by  artificial 
smelting. 

The  great  national  value  of  the  copper  mines  of  Lake 
Superior  will  be  seen  by  comparing  their  capability  for 
the  production  of  metal  with  the  other  copper  mines  in 
different  parts  of  the  earth.  The  following  table  exhibits 
the  foreign  mines,  together  with  the  annual  yield  of  metal. 

Sweden, 1,000  tons. 

Russia, 2,000  " 

Hungary, 2,000  " 

Hartz  Mountains 212  " 

East  Germany, 143  " 

Hesse, 500  " 

Norway, 7,200  " 

United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  14.465  " 

Mexico, 200  " 

The  principal  landing-place  on  Keweenaw  Point,  to  get 
access  to  the  mines,  is  Eagle  Harbor.  The  village  occu- 
pies a  beautiful  site.  The  houses  are  built  on  the  rising 
ground,  in  a  magnificent  grove  of  Norwegian  pines.  The 
harbor  is  a  fraction  less  than  a  mile  wide;  the  greatest 
depth  of  water,  one  hundred  feet ;  depth  on  the  bar,  ten 
feet;  and  there  it  can  be  easily  deepened  to  sixteen  feet, 
by  blasting  away  the  rocks.  This  ought  to  be  done  for  the 
safety  of  loaded  steamboats,  which  frequently  take  shelter 
in  the  bay. 

The  Superior  country  is  quite  destitute  of  game;  but 
the  waters  abound  in  fisn  of  the  choicest  kinds.  The 
streams  throughout  the  iron  region  are  alive  with  speckled 
trout.  The  lake  fisheries  will  one  day  rival  those  of  the 

T 


302  THE    GREAT   WEST. 

ocean,  both  in  extent  and  value.  Isle  Royale  is  a  favorite 
place  of  resort  for  fishermen,  who  take  there  great  numbers 
of  the  siskowit — the  fattest  and  finest  variety  of  the  lake- 
trout  family ;  also,  lake-trout  and  whitefish.  The  sisko- 
wit has  been  known  to  attain  to  the  weight  of  twenty -five 
pounds ;  and  the  lake  trout,  fifty  pounds.  The  siskowit 
has  only  to  become  introduced  into  the  eastern  market,  to 
take  the  place  of  all  other  fish,  as  a  delicacy  for  the  table 
of  the  epicure.  The  capability  of  the  fisheries  of  the 
Superior  country  may  be  estimated  by  the  quantities 
taken  at  one  place,  near  Mackinaw,  atwhich  ten  thousand 
barrels  are  packed  annually.  The  preparations  for  pack- 
ing are  very  simple.  After  being  cleaned,  the  fish  are 
laid,  with  the  scales  on,  upon  broad  benches,  and  salted; 
then  thrown  into  a  box,  or  crate,  with  a  grating  at  the 
bottom,  to  drain.  Sometimes  a  common  wagon-wheel  is 
used,  suspended  by  a  rod  passing  through  the  hub;  the 
water  passes  off  from  the  fish,  between  the  spokes.  After 
draining,  the  packing  commences.  Fish  are  an  important 
article  of  food  at  the  mines,  and  will  continue  to  become 
more  valuable  as  the  business  of  mining  increases. 

The  Superior  country  is  a  healthy  country;  but  the 
climate  is  too  cold  and  forbidding,  and.J,he  winters  too 
long,  to  attract  emigrants,  who  prefer  to  cultivate  the 
soil.  In  July,  the  days  are  very  warm ;  the  nights,  how- 
ever, are  cool.  The  changes  in  the  temperature  are  very 
sudden  and  very  great.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the 
thermometer,  to  fall  forty  degrees  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Frosts  occur  about  the  tenth  of  September,  sufficient  to 
kill  all  vegetation.  The  snows  attain  to  the  depth  of  six 
feet,  and  remain  to  the  last  of  May.  Winter  sets  in  early 
in  October.  During  the  fall  months  there  are  frequent 
end  terrible  gales  of  wind,  and  storms  of  rain  and  snow. 


FUTURE   DEVELOPMENT.  303 

The  Superior  country  will  one  day  be  erected  into  a 
territory  by  itself,  or  admitted  as  a  state.  It  will  be,  for 
all  time,  not  only  a  mine  of  wealth  to  the  Union,  but 
also  a  nursery  of  a  tough,  hardy,  and  energetic  race  of 
men.  The  full  development  of  its  vast  resources  would 
require  a  population  that  will  make  it  the  great  northern 
hive  of  America. 


304  THE   GREAT   WEST. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

KANSAS   AND   NEBRASKA. 

Boundary  of  Kansas  —  Best  lands  open  for  settlement  —  Valleys  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  of  the  Smoky  Hill  Fork  cf 
the  Kansas  —  Pasturage  —  The  land  between  the  desert  hills  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains  —  The  Kansas  River — Valley  of  the  Grand 
River  —  Timber  —  Coal  —  Springs  —  Council  Grove  —  The  Grand 
Prairie  —  The  Upper  Arkansas  —  Pawnee  Rock  —  The  mirage  — 
Table  of  distances  from  Independence  City  to  Pawnee  Rock  —  The 
Santa  Fe  trade  —  Southern  Kansas  ores  —  Settlements  of  Eastern 
Kansas  —  Kansas  laws  for  the  recognition  of  land  claims  —  Indians 
of  Kansas  —  "  First  right"  —  Table  of  distances  from  Fort  Riley  to 
Missouri  border —  Military  roads —  Climate  of  Kansas  —  Nebraska. 

KANSAS  Territory  lies  spread  out  between  the  thirty- 
seventh  and  the  fortieth  parallels  of  north  latitude,  and 
from  the  border  of  Missouri  clear  over  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. The  northern  boundary  consists  of  a  straight  line, 
running  due  east  and  west.  The  southern  boundary  is 
directty  west  along  the  line  of  the  Indian  Territory,  and 
of  Texas  to  New  Mexico ;  thence,  ascending  northward 
one  degree,  it  again  turns  away  westward.  The  eastern 
portion,  therefore,  is  considerably  wider  than  the  western. 
The  territory  comprises  an  area  of  nearly  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  thousand  square  miles.  It  has  been  suggested, 
that  "  ultimately,  the  State  of  Kansas  will  probably  be 
restricted,  by  cutting  off  the  western  portion  to  form  a  new 
state  or  states,  so  as  to  leave  this  about  three  hundred  miles 
long,  from  east  to  west,  and  two  hundred  wide,  from  north 
to  south."  The  eastern  boundary,  for  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles,  is  formed  by  the  Missouri  River,  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Kansas  and  the  southern  border  of  Nebraska. 


BEST  LANDS  OPEN  FOR  SETTLEMENT.     305 

The  eastern  and  the  western  extremities  of  the  terri- 
tory comprise  the  best  lands  in  Kansas ;  the  middle  regions 
being  quite  indifferent,  and  in  some  places  absolutely 
barren.  The  finest  portions  now  open  for  settlement  are 
comprised  in  the  strip  which  extends  across  the  territory 
contiguous  to  the  Missouri  boundary,  varying  in  width 
from  seventy -five  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  This 
tract  of  land  has  a  limestone  basis;  and  the  soil,  consist- 
ing of  a  dark  vegetable  mold  far  superior  to  the  ordinary 
prairie  soil,  is  exceedingly  fertile,  and  of  great  depth. 
The  soil,  throughout  the  entire  region,  is  represented  as 
having  an  average  depth  of  four  feet,  which,  with  its  cal- 
careous quality,  and  free.dpm  from  stone,  makes  it  most 
desirable  for  agricultural  purposes.  The  bottom-lands 
along  the  borders  of  the  rivers  are  equal  to  any  in  the 
world.  The  upland  is  composed  of  a  continual  succession 
of  ridges  and  valleys,  rising  and  falling  with  the  regular- 
ity of  ocean  waves.  The  general  direction  of  the  ridges 
is  north  and  south,  except  where  their  uniformity  is  broken 
by  the  courses  of  the  streams.  The  rivers  are  belted  with 
timber ;  but  the  forests  are  not  so  thick,  nor  the  trees  so 
large  as  those  which  originally  grew  in  New  York  and 
Ohio.  The  woods  have  not  a  sufficient  supply  of  timber 
for  a  dense  population  ;  but  it  is  presumed  to  be  sufficient 
for  the  purposes  of  settlement,  until  hedges  can  be  raised, 
and  the  fires  shut  out  from  the  plains,  permitting  a  growth 
of  trees  to  spring  up  where  now  every  twig  is  consumed. 
The  effect  of  narrowing  the  limits  of  the  autumnal  fires 
will,  no  doubt,  be  the  same  in  Kansas  that  it  has  been  in 
Missouri,  converting  prairie  into  thrifty  timbered  lands. 
The  upland  country,  diversified  with  hills  and  valleys,  is 
rendered  picturesque  by  groves,  scattered  unevenly  and 
irregularly  over  the  surface,  sometimes,  on  the  hillsides, 


306  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

but  oftener  in  the  valleys,  consisting,  in  the  former  case, 
of  the  stately  cottonwoods,  and  in  the  latter,  of  elms. 
Clumps  of  oak  are  found  in  some  places.  The  timher  of 
the  bottom-lands  consists  of  oak,  ash,  elm,  white  and 
sugar-maple,  and  hickory.  This  eastern  tract  is  known 
among  the  overland  travelers  to  Oregon  and  California 
as  the  region  of  "tall  grass."  The  blade  is  coarse  and 
rough  at  the  edges,  like  the  grass  of  Illinois.  It  ordina- 
rily attains  to  the  hight  of  three  feet,  toward  the  close  of 
summer ;  but  where  the  land  is  moist  it  grows  more  luxu- 
riantly, and  is  said  to  become  "  tall  enough  to  hide  from 
view  horse  and  rider."  In  June,  those  rolling  prairie 
lands  are  covered  with  gaudy  flowers.  The  small  streams 
are  quite  numerous,  having  their  sources  in  springs ;  and 
though  they  may  not  entirely  dry  up,  they  are,  neverthe- 
less, "dry -weather  streams,"  showing  little  more  in  Sep- 
tember than  pebbly  beds,  but  swelled  full,  muddy  and 
turbulent,  in  the  spring.  These  streams  have  cut  their 
channels  down  deep  in  the  soil,  forming  ravines  difficult 
to  cross ;  but  with  their  borders  fringed  with  timber,  and 
winding  through  the  country  in  all  directions,  they  add 
very  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape. 

Immediately  contiguous  to  the  fertile  plains  of  eastern 
Kansas  is  a  narrow  belt,  averaging  twenty  miles  in  width, 
of  an  entirely  different  character,  having  a  sandstone  basis. 
The  country  is  not  so  rolling.  Spring-water  is  rarely 
found;  but  there  are  many  large  rivers,  together  with 
their  head  streams,  which  flow  through  this  tract.  As  a 
general  thing,  the  soil  would  be  considered  too  light  and 
sandy  for  profitable  cultivation.  The  traveler  will  ob- 
serve that  the  hickory  timber  has  entirely  disappeared, 
and  the  few  trees  which  he  will  find  "  are  mostly  the  black- 
jack, elm,  cottonwood,  ash,  and  willow."  This  region, 
however,  is  said  to  possess  some  attractions  for  the  tourist. 


TRIBUTARIES  OP  THE  ARKANSAS  RIVER.         307 

It  has  been  thus  described :  "  Here  the  finest  patches  of 
buffalo  grass  intermingle  with  stinted  meads  of  tall  grass, 
and  beds  of  pale-green  moss,  long  and  slender;  which, 
with  the  oxlip,  blue  and  white  violet,  and,  near  the 
streams,  a  sensitive  plant  of  yellow-cup  dotted  with  jet, 
and  many  another  of  the  floral  sisterhood,  fragile  and  aro- 
matic as  the  field-flowers  of  the  Atlantic,  all  blooming  in 
the  lively  green  of  the  vernal  season,  form  a  mosaic,  as 
agreeably  contrasted  as  any  garden  of  art." 

Further  to  the  westward  is  a  region  which  possesses 
considerable  interest,  and  affords  some  advantages  for 
keeping  flocks  and  herds.  It  is  not  a  belt  of  country 
stretching  like  the  other  two  across  the  territory,  but  con- 
sists rather  of  long  reaches  of  fertile  and  well-watered 
land,  lying  upon  the  banks  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  and  of  the  Smoky  Hill  Fork  of  the  Kansas. 
The  valleys  of  these  streams  are  much  depressed  below 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  and  intervening  plains.  The 
river  bluffs  often  sweep  away  from  the  banks  in  semicir- 
cular walls,  to  a  distance  of  three  and  four  miles,  inclos- 
ing narrow  sections  of  fertile -bottom-lands,  covered  with 
vegetable  mold  to  the  depth  of  many  feet.  These  are 
studded  with  groves  of  willow  and  cottonwood,  and  some- 
times of  ash,  and,  along  the  Arkansas,  but  rarely,  groups 
of  oak,  and  mezquit.  These  alluvial  lands  are  highly 
productive ;  but  the  plains  are  supposed  to  be  worthless 
for  cultivation,  though  finely  adapted  to  pasturage,  being 
covered  with  the  buffalo  grass,  "which  has  been  described  " 
as  "  a  soft,  slender,  and  very  nutritious  blade,  seven 
inches  high  when  in  perfection,  but  nearly  every  where 
so  cropped  down  by  herds  of  buffalo  and  antelope  as  to 
look  like  a  lawn  over  which  the  scythe  has  lately  passed." 

Beyond  this  is  the  vast  tract  known  as  the  American 
Desert,  extending  from  Nebraska  through  Kansas  into 


308  THE   GEEAT   WEST. 

Texas  and  New  Mexico.  There  are  no  small  streams, 
and  but  few  rivers,  flowing  through  this  desolate  region. 
The  surface  is  almost  a  dead,  uniform  level,  sweeping  in 
every  direction  to  the  horizon,  and  is  composed  of  a 
heavy  gray  and  yellow  clay,  destitute  of  rocks  and  stone, 
with  not  a  single  tree,  only  here  and  there  a  grease-bush, 
or  knob  of  cactus,  and  a  few  juiceless  blades  of  bitter, 
unpalatable  grass.  The  desert  terminates  to  the  west- 
ward in  a  range  of  hills  composed  of  marl  and  limestone, 
which  rise  abruptly  from  the  plain,  and  have  precipitous 
sides  and  flat  tops.  This  narrow  belt  of  hill-country  is 
known  as  the  range  of  "buttes." 

From  the  desert-hills  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  is  a 
beautiful,  fertile  country,  resembling,  in  many  respects, 
eastern  Kansas,  but  more  broken,  with  an  abundance  of 
timber,  and  innumerable  rivulets.  The  soil  is  rich  and 
warm.  The  country  is  filled  with  sheltered  valleys.  The 
scenery  is  represented  as  exceedingly  beautiful  and 
various  —  a  mixture  of  mountains,  valleys,  streams,  water- 
falls, natural  meadows,  and  groves  of  cedar,  walnut,  and 
oak.  But  few  persons  have  visited  that  distant  region, 
and  little  is  known  concerning  it,  except  this,  that  all 
agree  in  saying  that  it  is  very  attractive,  and  appears  to 
possess  a  good  soil,  with  plenty  of  wood-land,  and  a  mild, 
salubrious  climate. 

Probably  the  choicest  lands,  and  the  most  easily  acces- 
sible, within  the  borders  of  Kansas,  are  those  which  lie 
along  the  river  from  which  the  territory  has  taken  its 
name.  Mr.  Greene,  in  his  interesting  book  on  the  Kansas 
Region,  gives  the  following  description  of  the  river :  "  The 
Kansas  River  at  its  delta  is  six  hundred  yards  wide ;  and, 
for  the  first  hundred  miles  above,  its  average  width  is 
nearly  the  same;  from  Pottawatomie  to  Big  Blue  it  is 
four  hundred  yards;  and,  from  that  to  Fort  Riley,  two 


KANSAS  RIVER.  309 

hundred  yards.  This  river  is  turbid  like  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi. For  one  hundred  and  twenty -five  miles  from  the 
mouth,  it  is  quite  straight — above  that  it  is  crooked  as 
the  mad  Missouri ;  but  the  current  is  less  rapid,  there  are 
fewer  snags,  the  banks  are  firmer,  and  not  so  often  cut 
away  for  new  channels.  It  is  a  good  navigable  stream, 
for  three  months  in  the  year,  and  in  very  wet  seasons,  for 
as  many  as  five  months.  Ascending  fifteen  miles,  to  the 
entrance  of  Delaware  creek,  the  river  is  bordered  with 
wood-land  and  prairie;  and  from  thence  to  Fort  Kiley, 
both  banks  arc  heavily  timbered,  with  here  and  there  a 
high  bottom  of  dry,  rich  alluvion.  Along  every  few  miles 
of  this  region,  fine  arable  bluffs  project  boldly  into,  or 
swell  out  gently  from  the  rippling  waters  that  float  dream- 
ily by,  or  glide  on  with  arrowy  sweep.  On  the  north  side 
there  is  a  mound  of  remarkable  beauty ;  from  the  western 
curve  of  which  a  brook,  poetically  named  The  Stranger, 
pours  in  its  pellucid  tribute;  and  immediately  above, 
there  is  a  great  horseshoe  bend,  where  a  tract  of  excel- 
lent bottom-land,  high  and  dry,  might,  with  much  saving 
of  labor,  be  inclosed  by  a  fence  of  a  few  rods  across  the 
neck.  Opposite,  there  is  a  gradually-rising  grass-plat, 
ornamented  with  groups  of  trees,  and  rolling  up  into  a 
bold  and  broad  prairie.  Still  passing  up  the  Kansas, 
from  the  foot  of  a  low  bluff  on  the  north,  Sugar  creek 
comes  in,  under  spread  of  a  grape  thicket  of  several  thou- 
sand acres,  alternated  with  a  rich  walnut  bottom.  Near 
by,  an  abundance  of  coal  is  found;  and  an  undulating 
eminence,  diversified  with  grove  and  prairie,  affords  an 
eligible  site  for  a  flourishing  city.  On  the  south,  the 
Wakaroosa  flows  in,  near  the  western  limit  of  the  Shaw- 
nee  Reserve.  The  Wakaroosa,  like  most  other  western 
streams,  is  in  some  places  deeply  indented,  clearing  its 
banks  canal-like,  and  revealing  a  fat,  black  loam,  five  feet 
14 


310  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

in  depth.  Studding  the  banks  of  the  rivulets,  and  in 
clumps  on  the  prairie,  are  several  varieties  of  plum,  wild 
cherry,  the  delicious  pawpaw,  persimmon,  hazel-nut,  and 
hickory,  white  and  black  walnut,  coffee-bean,  butternut, 
gooseberry,  haw,  and,  of  all  nuts,  the  unapproachable 
pecan.  The  soil  is  well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  the 
apple,  peach,  pear,  and  currant,  and  produces  exuberant 
crops  of  wheat,  hemp,  corn,  buckwheat,  oats,  rye,  pota- 
toes, tobacco,  and  all  the  vegetables  of  the  eastern  states. 
Proceeding  up  the  Kansas,  the  next  region  of  mark  is 
that  adjacent  to  Grasshopper  creek.  Here  is  a  bluff  of 
more  than  ordinary  beauty,  commanding  a  wide  and 
pleasant  prospect.  From  this  to  Mud  creek,  a  prairie- 
bottom  spreads  out  its  lap  of  natural  treasures,  alluring 
the  industrious  emigrant  to  pause  and  make  himself  a 
home.  At  the  Hundred  Mile  Point,  on  the  north  side, 
rises  a  lofty,  handsome  bluff,  like  an  island,  from  out  a  sea 
of  timber;  its  summit  decorated  with  inwoven  foliage  of 
the  oak  and  walnut;  while  afar,  the  thick  rolls  of  prairie 
surge  off  to  the  horizon,  with  its  narrow  curtain  of  haze 
separating  the  bright-green  from  the  brighter  blue.  Along 
the  left  bank,  the  prairie  dips  smooth  and  velvety  to  the 
river's  rim.  Pursuing  the  westward  route,  there  is  a  rapid 
alternation  of  meadow  and  grove,  affording  the  largest 
facilities  for  farming.  Next  we  have  Uniontown,  a  village 
of  log  cabins,  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  river.  Twenty- 
five  miles  above,  the  Vermilion  River  disgorges ;  with  its 
umbrageous  binding  of  timber,  like  a  dark  serpent,  trail- 
ing out  to  the  north.  This  stream  is  marked  with  many 
available  mill-sites.  And,  in  fact,  it  is  upon  the  northern 
tributaries  of  the  Kansas,  deeply  indented,  and  of  descend- 
ing volume,  that  the  most  frequent  and  valuable  water- 
power  of  the  territory  is  to  be  found ;  a  short  distance 
above,  the  Big  Blue  pours  in  its  affluence  of  waters  from 


VALLEY  OF   THE   GRAND   RIVER.  311 

the  hills  of  Nebraska.  From  this  point,  the  southern 
acclivity  of  the  Kansas  Valley  presses  against  the  chan- 
nel every  four  or  five  miles,  inlocking  intervals  of 
enticing  loveliness,  and  snug  little  coves  for  tranquil  neigh- 
borhoods ;  while  on  the  northern  bank,  there  is  a  continu- 
ous bottom,  five  miles  broad,  stretching  down-stream  for 
fifty  miles ;  not  so  extensive,  but  in  richness  rivaling  the 
American  Bottom  south  of  St.  Louis,  and  more  elevated 
and  healthier,  blessed  with  a  salubrious  atmosphere,  and 
not  subject,  like  that,  to  inundation.  Immediately  west 
of  the  Blue,  a  fine  prairie  slopes  northward  further  than 
the  eye  can  follow;  and  a  lawn  of  several  thousand 
acres  is  inclosed  by  a  river-bend,  with  an  isthmus  of 
about  a  half  a  mile.  While  from  an  adjacent  bluff,  ledges 
of  building-stone  crop  out." 

The  valley  of  the  Grand  River — a  branch  of  the  Ar- 
kansas— possesses  a  great  many  attractions  for  agricul- 
turists. Commencing  south  of  Fort  Riley,  the  valley 
extends  south-easterly,  almost  to  the  boundary  of  the  ter- 
ritory. Indeed,  the  advantages  offered  to  the  emigrant  in 
the  regions  upon  the  Grand  and  Osage  rivers  are  fully 
equal  to  any  in  Kansas.  The  country  is  beautifully 
rolling,  and  inclines  greatly  toward  the  south.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  richness  and  depth  of  the  soil,  every  acre  of 
land  is  suitable  for  cultivation,  being  entirely  free  from 
swamps  and  bluffs.  The  timber  is  the  best  and  most 
abundant  in  the  territory,  consisting  of  a  large  growth  of 
hickory,  oak,  elm,  sycamore,  mulberry,  and  sassafras,  with 
numerous  groves  of  maple,  and  here  and  there  a  clump  of 
beeches.  In  both  valleys  there  are  quarries  of  excellent 
limestone,  and  apparently  inexhaustible.  Bituminous  coal 
has  been  found  in  several  localities,  leading  to  the  suppo- 
sition that  a  coal-field  underlies  all  that  part  of  the  terri- 
tory. The  valley  of  the  Grand  River  is  well  known  for 


312  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

its  numerous  springs  of  pure  and  sparkling  water — wells 
have  to  be  sunk  only  some  twelve  feet  to  obtain  an  unfail- 
ing supply.  In  the  vicinity  of  Council  Grove,  and,  indeed, 
in  most  parts  of  Kansas,  the  soil  rests  upon  a  regular 
substratum  of  hard  pan,  and  is  thus  enabled  to  retain  a 
supply  of  moisture  for  the  nourishment  of  crops  in  the 
severest  droughts.  The  clay  is  very  compact,  and  dries 
readily  into  adobe,  or  sun-made  brick,  such  as  is  com- 
monly used  in  Mexican  structures.  Council  Grove  takes 
its  name  from  a  grove,  or  forest  rather,  three  miles  in 
width  and  fifteen  miles  long,  consisting,  in  most  part,  of 
gigantic  walnuts,  hickories,  and  oaks.  And  there,  in  1825, 
a  treaty  was  ratified  between  the  United  States  and  the 
Indians,  granting  a  right  of  way  from  Missouri  to  Texas. 
And  in  the  early  Santa  Fe  trade,  it  was  customary  for 
parties  to  assemble  at  the  grove,  and  organize  their 
caravans,  by  appointing  officers,  and  adopting  a  code  of 
laws.  From  thence  to  Santa  Fe,  timber  is  not  to  be  had, 
and  caravans  always  carried  a  sufficient  quantity  with  them 
for  repairs.  For  that  purpose,  logs  were  lashed  under- 
neath the  wagons,  and  sometimes  were  carried  to  Santa 
Fe  and  back  again.  On  the  road,  further  westward,  the 
undulations  of  the  land  gradually  subside  into  one  uniform 
level,  known  as  the  Grand  Prairie,  which  is  of  an  average 
width  of  five  hundred  miles ;  and  at  the  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  that  prairie  is  said  to  be  a  thousand  miles 
wide.  The  Grand  Prairie  is  the  great  buffalo  pasture  of 
the  West.  As  Mr.  Green  says :  "  The  commercial  value 
to  Kansas  of  the  prairie  cattle,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
simple  statement  of  the  item,  that  one  hundred  thousand 
buffalo  rugs  are  now  exported  annually." 

The  Santa  Fe  road  strikes  the  Arkansas  at  the  Big 
Bend.  The  river  is  there  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad 
The  Upper  Arkansas  has  been  thus  described:  "From 


PAWNEE   ROCK  313 

the  adjacent  bights  the  ledges  of  wave-like  yellow  sand, 
along  the  southern  bank,  look  like  wind-driven  piles  of 
wheat,  beneath  which,  through  a  low  and  wide  trench,  the 
majestic  waters  sweep  placid  as  'the  river  of  a  dream.' 
Rio  Napeste,  as  the  Mexicans  name  it,  will  probably 
measure  two  thousand  miles  in  length  from  its  sources  to 
the  frontiers  of  Arkansas.  The  channel  is  wide  and  shal- 
low, with  banks  in  many  places  not  five  feet  above  low- 
water-mark.  It  varies  from  a  quarter  to  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  in  width,  and  at  certain  points  can  be  forded, 
except  in  time  of  freshet;  but  care  is  requisite  to  avoid 
quicksands;  and  the  current  has  a  velocity  and  coolness 
that  would  not  be  anticipated  from  the  smoothness  of  the 
surface."  It  has  been  suggested,  that,  without  very  great 
expense,  the  Arkansas  might  be  made  navigable  for  small 
steamboats,  to  the  mountains.  If  so,  it  would  furnish 
an  immense  channel  of  inland  communication  for  tho 
rising  territory.  One  of  its  branches,  the  Grand  River, 
is  navigable  to  as  great  a  distance  as  the  Hudson.  With 
the  seat  of  empire  steadily  removing  westward,  the  time 
may  come  when  steam  navigation  on  the  Arkansas  shall 
reach  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  a 
distance  twice  the  length  of  the  Ohio  River. 

Beyond  Walnut  creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  at 
the  head  of  a  prairie-slope,  which  rises  from  the  very  edge 
of  the  water,  stands  the  Pawnee  Rock,  five  miles  from 
the  river,  celebrated  in  Indian  story,  overlooking  a  bound- 
less expanse  of  country  —  its  front  and  sides  of  highly 
ferruginous  sandstone,  covered  over  with  the  names  and 
memorials  of  prairie  voyagers.  The  atmosphere  is  dry. 
There  are  no  marshes  in  the  valley  of  the  river,  and  no 
fogs  arising  from  the  stream.  The  mirage  is  astonishing, 
and  ofttinies  ludicrous  enough.  A  facetious  traveler,  having 


314  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  "saw  the  elephant" 
himself,  and  thus  describes  it :  "  Our  party  were  amused 
with  a  series  of  these  grotesque  transformations  on  the 
part  of  a  buffalo,  intent  upon  having  a  drink  from  the 
Arkansas.  As  the  staid  fellow  unwittingly  plodded  along, 
his  hump  shot  into  a  pyramid;  then  jauntily  cocking  it 
one  side,  like  the  beaver  of  a  lop-eared  dandy,  and  descend- 
ing a  knowl,  he  turned  a  flip-flap  somerset,  swallowed 
himself,  and  came  out  a  very  elegant  giraffe,  which  shortly 
settled  into  a  brown  and  shapeless  heap ;  and  in  another 
second,  reassumed  its  ancient  buffalonian  aspect,  only  to 
undergo  momentary  changes  as  ludicrous  as  before." 

The  Upper  Arkansas  Valley  is  said  to  possess  a  warm, 
quick  soil,  composed  of  vegetable  mold,  rather  sandy, 
adapted  to  gardening,  and  capable  of  yielding  support  to 
a  pastoral  community.  The  waters  of  this  region  are 
frequented  by  the  American  crane — a  very  large  bird — 
twice  the  size  of  the  eagle.  This  crane  is  represented  as 
"  superbly  white,"  except  the*. tips  of  the  wings,  which  are 
raven-black.  The  frogs  of  the  Arkansas  attain  to  an 
enormous  size,  and  mingle  their  hoarse  croaking  with  the 
doleful  howling  of  the  wolves.  The  atmosphere  is  pecu- 
liarly sweet  and  wholesome,  and  those  who  have  breathed 
it  pronounce  it  astonishingly  invigorating. 

The  following  table  of  distances  may  be  useful  to  those 
who  design  looking  in  the  southern  part  of  Kansas  for 
locations.  It  commences  from  Independence  City,  in 
'Missouri,  because  that  is,  or  was,  the  old  frontier  town, 
the  port  for  fitting  out  for  the  wilderness  and  Santa  F6 
The  route  lies  through  some  of  the  most  delightful  re- 
gions of  Kansas,  on  the  head-waters  of  the  Osage  and 
Grand  rivers,  where  settlements  are  springing  up  and 
growing  with  unexampled  rapidity. 


TABLE   OF  DISTANCES.  315 


Independence  City  to—  MlLB8- 

Kansas  boundary  .......  22  22 

Love  Elm,     ........  7  29 

Bound  Grove,     .......  6  35 

The  Narrows,     .......  30  65 

Blackjack,  ........  3  68 

One-hundred-and-ten-mile  Creek,  .  32  100 

(Council  City,)  Switzler's  Creek,  .  9  109 

Dragoon  Creek,       ......  5  114 

(Council  Grove,)  Big  John  Spring,  35  149 

Kansas  Village,  .......  1  150 

Sylvan  Camp,     .......  2  152 

Willow  Spring,  .......  6  158 

Diamond  Spring,    ......  13  171 

Lost  Spring,  ........  16  187 

Cottonwood  Fork  of  Grand  River,  .  12  199 

Turkey  Creek  ........  29  228 

Mud  Creek,    ........  19  247 

Little  Arkansas,      ......  3  250 

Cow  Creek,    .    .    ......  20  270 

Plum  Buttes,      .......  14  284 

Great  Bend  of  the  Arkansas,    .     .  2  286 

Walnut  Creek,  .......  7  293 

Pawnee  Rock,    .......  14  307 

The  Santa  Fe  trade  is  quite  an  item  in  estimating  the 
advantages  which  Kansas  offers  to  the  enterprising  set- 
tler. The  following  statement,  compiled  by  Mr.  Greene, 
will  show  the  development  of  that  trade  : 

"  The  growth  and  fluctuations  of  business,  from  1822 
to  this  period,  may  be  inferred  from  this  condensed  state- 
ment ;  which,  if  not  entirely  accurate,  is  sufficiently  so  for 
our  purpose,  having  been  derived  from  the  best  authorities, 
and  conversations  with  intelligent  gentlemen  in  the  trade. 


316  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

"In  1822,  fifteen  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  merchandise 
•were  transported,  pack  animals  solely  being  used;  and 
fifteen  men  were  employed  besides  the  sixty  interested 
proprietors.  In  1824,  twenty-six  wagons,  in  addition  to 
the  beasts  of  burden,  were  brought  into  service;  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods  were  car- 
ried over.  In  1826,  our  exports  equaled  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars;  there  were  seventy  proprietors,  and  one 
hundred  men  employed.  Thenceforth,  wagons  only  were 
used.  In  1828,  there  were  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  merchandise  transported;  there  were 
one  hundred  wagons  in  requisition ;  eighty  proprietors 
engaged;  giving  employment  to  two  hundred  men.  In 
the  year  1830,  oxen  were  first  used;  which  have  never 
been  brought  into  successful  competition  with  mules.  In 
1831,  the  transports  were  to  the  amount  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars ;  there  were  eighty  owners ;  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  wagons;  and  three  hundred  men. 
In  1832,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars;  seventy 
wagons;  one  hundred  and  fifty  men;  and  forty  owners. 
In  1839,  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars;  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  wagons;  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men;  and  forty  proprietors.  And  in  1843,  the  transports 
amounted  to  half  a  million  of  dollars;  there  were  two 
hundred  and  fifty  wagons,  and  four  hundred  men  em- 
ployed; while  the  proprietorship  had  dwindled  into  the 
hands  of  thirty  capitalists.  The  reopening  of  the  next 
year  tempted  fewer  owners  into  the  field ;  yet  our  aggre- 
gate of  exports  amounted  to  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars ;  in  the  conveyance  of  which,  one  hundred  wagons 
and  two  hundred  men  were  employed.  For  ten  years 
antecedent,  a  heavy  proportion  of  all  merchandise  had 
been  carried  by  Missouri  freighters,  from  Independence 


SANTA  FE  TRADE.  317 

to  Santa  Fe,  at  rates  varying  from  ten  to  twelve  cents  a 
pound;  as  late  as  1850,  the  price  was  nine  cents. 

"Of  course,  the  statement  of  value  of  goods  are  at 
United  States  costs.  In  the  earliest  history  of  the  traffic, 
the  advanced  price  of  sales  was  immensely  more ;  but 
from  1830  to  1843  witnessed  considerable  diminution :  the 
rates  at  the  latter  period  scarcely  averaging  one  hundred 
per  cent,  over  original  costs — calicoes  selling  at  from 
twenty-five  to  fifty  cents,  that  had,  in  1825,  commanded 
two  and  three  dollars. 

"  Since  our  war  with  Mexico,  and  its  consequent  revo- 
lution, entrance  to  the  ports  is  unimpeded  by  the  oppress- 
ive arancel  formerly  interposed  by  the  Mexican  executive ; 
and  as  a  consequence,  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Aubrey  and 
other  reliable  gentlemen,  that,  from  1850  to  the  present 
date,  our  annual  exports  range  from  two  to  three  million  of 
dollars;  much  of  which  has  been  freighted  into  Chihuahua, 
at  charges  varying  from  six  to  eight  cents  a  pound. 

"  The  big  prices  have  gone  down ;  yet  the  palmy  days  of 
the  Santa  Fe  trade  are  not  ended.  Its  story  in  the  future 
can  not  be  so  romantic,  for  the  hazardous  element  is  dis- 
appearing, and  the  interests  merged  are  gradually  equal- 
izing, as  the  route  to  be  traversed  is  shortened,  and  the 
supply  and  demand  are  more  accurately  fitting  into  each 
other.  In  after  time,  its  records  will  be  rather  statistical 
than  biographical,  and  more  magnificent  with  wealth 
achieved,  than  lustrous  with  heraldry  of  high-hearted  men. 

"  That  town  of  Kansas  will  be  fortunate  which  shall  be 
destined  as  the  entrepot  of  this  prairie  commerce ;  and 
trebly  fortunate  will  it  be,  if  it  converge  other  interests, 
and  become  the  emporium  of  all  the  traffic  with  the  plains 
and  distant  mountains ;  and  the  outfitting  mart  and  place 
of  transhipment  for  the  trappers  who  range  the  vast 
region  beyond."  B 

14* 


818  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

In  the  southern  part  of  Kansas,  in  the  region  of  the 
Cimarron  River,  iron,  lead,  copper,  and  silver  ores,  have 
been  found,  sufficiently  rich  to  make  mining  profitable 
•when  the  country  shall  have  become  inhabited.  There 
are  many  indications  of  the  existence  of  an  immense  bed 
of  salt ;  the  smaller  streams  soon  become  strongly  impreg- 
nated, and  numerous  springs  boil  up  in  brine,  "within 
pot-shaped  fountains,  formed  of  calcareous  and  saline  con- 
cretions. In  some  places,  the  prairie  is  covered  with  crys- 
tallized salt,white  as  a  marble  floor.  "  This  salt-plain  is 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Cimarron,  and  extends  for  miles 
•without  the  slightest  irregularity  of  surface,  being  so  low 
and  level  that  the  bordering  streams  sometimes  overflow 
it."  Adjacent  to  this  saline  tract,  the  river-bluffs  are 
largely  composed  of  gypsum. 

Settlements  are  progressing  rapidly  throughout  eastern 
Kansas.  Emigrants  are  flocking  thither  from  all  parts  of 
the  United  States.  Villages  are  springing  up  as  if  by 
magic.  Lawrence  is  located  in 'a  most  delightful  region, 
and  so  strong  is  the  tide  flowing  into  that  vicinity,  that, 
it  is  said,  claims  have  been  taken  up  in  every  direction 
for  fifteen  miles.  Pawnee  is  situated  about  a  mile  below 
the  junction  of  the  Republican  and  Chetolah  rivers. 
Many  of  the  buildings  are  of  stone.  Claims  have  been 
taken  upon  Clark's  creek  for  six  or  seven  miles;  on  the 
Republican  Fork,  near  ten  miles;  and  on  the  Chetolah, 
or  Smoky  Hill  Fork,  over  fourteen  miles.  Kenilworth  is 
destined  to  be  a  manufacturing  village.  A  company  is 
engaged  in  constructing  mills  at  this  place,  which  is  situ- 
ated on  the  east  bank  of  the  Republican  Fork,  fifteen 
miles  above  its  mouth.  The  soil  is  equal  to  that  of  Illinois 
The  country  is  watered  by  numerous  springs,  and  forests 
of  good  timber  are  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Topeka  is 
situated  on  the  Kansas  River,  below  Pawnee.  It  is  set- 


MUTUAL  SETTLERS'  ASSOCIATION.  319 

tied  chiefly  by  Pennsylvanians.  Bituminous  coal  has  been 
found,  of  the  best  quality,  within  two  miles  of  this  thriv- 
ing settlement.  On  Sugar  creek,  some  fifty  miles  south 
of  Council  City,  is  a  settlement  of  anti-slavery  Missou- 
rians.  Rock  City,  on  the  military  road,  ninety  miles  west 
of  the  Missouri  River,  is  situated  in  a  region  of  heavy 
timber.  It  is  impossible  to  enumerate  the  settlements  of 
Kansas,  or  to  give  their  respective  populations ;  for,  where 
yesterday  the  silence  of  nature  brooded  over  the  prairie, 
to-day  the  hammer  of  the  builder  is  heard,  and  the  voices 
of  civilization. 

The  lands  of  Kansas  have  not  been  surveyed,  and 
will  not  be  for  some  years.  All  the  settlers,  therefore, 
are  "  squatters."  Now,  squatting  is  an  American  •'  insti- 
tution," indispensable  to  the  growth  of  the  West,  working 
wonders  in  the  way  of  transforming  the  wilderness  into 
cultivated  fields.  Squatting,  although  lawless,  has  regu- 
lations of  its  own ;  it  has  been  reduced  into  system ;  and 
"claims"  are  not  only  respected  but  protected.  In 
August,  1854,  the  Mutual  Settlers'  Association  of  Kan- 
sas Territory  agreed  to  the  following  laws  for  the  recog- 
nition of  land-claims,  viz.: 

"  1.  Recognizing  the  right  of  every  citizen  to  a  claim 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  eighty  of  timber,  and  one 
hundred  and  sixty  of  prairie-land ;  the  claim  to  be  secured 
by  improvement  and  residence,  which  must  commence 
within  sixty  days  from  the  entry  of  the  claim,  on  either 
the  prairie  or  timber-land,  which  is  to  secure  the  claim 
to  both. 

"  2.  Single  persons  and  females  allowed  to  secure  their 
claims  by  residing  in  the  territory,  without  residing  on 
their  claims.  Persons  allowed  a  day  additional  to  the 
time  provided  above  for  every  five  miles  they  may  have 
to  travel  to  reach  their  families. 


320  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

"  3.  No  person  to  hold,  directly  or  indirectly,  more  than 
one  claim. 

"  4.  No  person  allowed  to  enter  any  previously  marked 
claim. 

"  5.  Persons  neglecting  to  improve  within  the  specified 
time,  to  forfeit  their  claims,  which  can  then  be  taken  up 
by  any  other  citizen. 

"  6.  Any  person  to  point  out  the  extent  of  his  claim 
whenever  another  may  wish  to  ascertain  it. 

"  7.  Claimant  to  make  oath  that  his  claim  does  not  in- 
fringe on  that  of  any  other  person. 

"8.  Form  of  application  for  registry  to  describe  the 
claim,  and  date  of  its  selection. 

"  9.  On  the  survey  of  the  territory,  the  settlers  to  deed 
and  redeed  to  each  other,  so  as  to  secure  to  each  the 
amount  of  land  specified  as  the  amount  of  claim. 

• "  10  to  13,  inclusive,  provide  for  the  appointment  of  a 
chief  justice,  a  register,  and  marshal,  and  a  treasurer,  and 
define  their  duties. 

"14.  The  limits  of  the  association  to  be  the  waters  of 
the  Wakaroosa  and  Kansas  rivers,  and  the  territory  be- 
tween the  same,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wakaroosa  up  to 
the  Shawnee  purchase. 

"  15  to  21  provide  for  the  election  and  removal  of  of- 
ficers by  a  majority  of  members,  and  other  incidental 
regulations." 

And  such  is  presumed  to  be  the  method  of  securing  a 
recognition  of  land-claims  throughout  the  territory. 

The  aboriginal  Indians,  with  the  exception  of  the  Paw- 
nees, are  still  in  possession  of  the  central  and  western 
districts  of  Kansas.  The  Pawnees,  once  the  most  pow- 
erful of  the  prairie  tribes,  have  been  reduced  by  war  and 
disease  to  utter  insignificance  as  to  numbers,  wealth,  and 
valor.  Twenty-five  years  ago,  the  small-pox  swept  away 
one-half  their  numbers ;  and,  since  that  time,  other  tribes, 


INDIAN  TRIBES   OF   KANSAS.  321 

once  held  in  subjection,  becoming  relatively  stronger, 
have  been  wiping  out  the  remembrance  of  traditional 
wrongs.  The  Pawnees  were  located,  for  a  time,  north  of 
the  Nebraska  River,  and  west  of  the  Missouri — the  feeble 
remnant  of  a  nation  that,  fifty  years  ago,  spread  terror 
from  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  to  the  mountains  of  Mex- 
ico ;  but  becoming  disheartened  under  the  attacks  of  the 
Blackfeet  and  Sioux,  the  Pawnees  have  again  migrated 
south,  near  the  Ottoes  and  Omahas,  and  exist  in  a  most 
wretched  condition. 

The  Arapahoes  roam  over  the  western  part  of  Kansas. 
They  profess  to  be  friendly  to  the  whites ;  but  the  safer 
policy  is  to  give  them  a  wide  berth.  The  Cheyennes  are 
in  alliance  with  the  Arapahoes,  professing  friendship,  but 
treacherous  to  a  proverb.  These  tribes  have  control  of 
the  Grand  Prairie ;  and  they  are  said  to  hold  there,  what 
in  Europe  would  be  called,  "  the  balance  of  power."  These 
tribes  are  known  to  be  very  numerous  —  for  it  is  quite 
common  to  stumble  upon  three  or  four  thousand  of  them, 
collected  in  a  single  hunting-camp.  The  other  aboriginal 
tribes  are  the  Osages,  Kansas,  and  Arkansas,  numbering 
about  nine  thousand.  The  hunting-grounds  of  the  Kansas 
lie  around  the  confluence  of  the  Smoky  Hill  and  Repub- 
lican Forks.  "The  name  of  this  tribe  is  variously 
spelled — Kanzas,  Kansas,  Cansas,  Konzas,  and  Consas  — 
and,  to  cap  all  with  absurdity,  they  scarcely  know  them- 
selves by  any  other  word  than  Kaws."  Since  we  have 
"Hoosiers,"  and  "Suckers,"  and  "Pukes,"  in  the  older 
states,  it  may  be  questioned  whether  we  shall  not  have 
"Kaws"  in  Kansas. 

The  whole  Indian  population  of  the  territory  has  been 
estimated  at  twenty-five  thousand.  The  Kickapoos,  Wy- 
andots,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Munsers,  Weas,  Piankashaws, 
Peorias,  Kaskaskias,  Pottawatomies,  Chippewas,  Dela- 


322  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

wares,  and  Shawnees  have  reservations  in  Kansas.  But 
those  who  are  instructed  in  these  matters  say,  that  a 
person  may  safely  squat  where  it  pleases  him  best ;  that 
if  he  should  intrude  upon  an  Indian  reservation,  a  small 
fee  of  ten  dollars  will  propitiate  the  owning  tribe.  The 
lands  of  the  territory  can  not,  probably,  be  brought  into 
market  under  three  or  four  years;  and  when  it  shall 
be  exposed  for  sale,  the  squatter  is  entitled  to  the  first 
bid.  And  whenever  a  stranger  trespasses  upon  a  regular 
claim,  an  arrow,  placed  over  the  cabin  door,  will  signify 
to  the  intruder  that  "first  right "  must  be  respected. 

Fort  Riley  stands  near  the  confluence  of  the  Smoky 
Hill  and  Eepublican  Forks,  at  the  head  of  the  Kansas 
River.  This  fort  was  built  in  1854,  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  the  Indians  more  completely  in  check,  and  fur- 
thering intercourse  between  frontier  posts.  It  is  said  to 
be  a  handsome  pile  of  buildings,  constructed  of  limestone 
taken  from  the  neighboring  bluffs.  The  following  table 
will  show  the  probable  distances,  by  the  river  route,  from 
Fort  Riley  to  the  Missouri  border : 

MILES.       AGGREGATE. 

Fort  Riley  to  — 

Wild  Cat 12  12 

Big  Blue 7  19 

Sargent's  Creek 3  22 

Rock  Creek 14  36 

Vermilion, 4  40 

Lost  Creek, 5  45 

Catholic  Mission,     ....  7     .       52 

Soldier  Creek 20  72 

Grasshopper  Creek,      ...  20  92 

Hickory  Point, 10  102 

Stranger  Creek 12  114 

Salt  Creek,     ..'....  9  123 

Missouri  State  Line,    ...  4  127 


THE   CLIMATE   OF  KANSAS.  323 

Congress,  in  1855,  made  two  appropriations  for  military 
roads  in  Kansas  —  one  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  for  the 
construction  of  a  road  from  Fort  Riley  to  such  point  on 
the  Arkansas  River  as  may,  in  the  opinion  of  the  secre- 
tary of  war,  be  most  expedient  for  military  purposes ;  and 
the  further  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  road  from  Fort  Riley  to  Bridger's  Pass,  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

The  climate  of  Kansas  is  very  nearly  that  of  Virginia; 
but  it  is  less  sultry.  In  the  warmest  days,  a  gentle  breeze 
is  blowing  from  the  mountains.  Spring  is  attended  with 
much  rain  from  March  till  June.  The  rivers  become 
swollen ;  the  roads  miry  —  but  not  hub-deep,  as  in  Indiana. 
It  is  supposed  that  plank-roads  will  never  be  needed  in 
Kansas,  for  the  soil  does  not  soften  into  mud.  Vegeta- 
tion is  early  and  exuberant.  Plowing  commences  in  Jan- 
uary. December  is  frequently  warm  enough  for  shirt- 
sleeves and  calico.  But  there  are  also  terribly  bleak 
days,  when  the  north  wind  sweeps  like  a  scythe  across 
the  prairies.  The  average  depth  of  snow  is  said  not  to 
exceed  three  inches.  The  weather  during  the  months 
of  August,  September,  and  October,  is  dry ;  and  the  In- 
dian summer  lingers  far  into  the  season  of  winter.  It  is 
claimed  for  Kansas,  that  the  climate  is  "  decidedly  supe- 
rior to  that  of  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  and  Michigan."  The 
western  plains  are  noted  for  the  frequent  and  terrific 
thunder-storms  that  sweep  over  them.  The  lands  of 
Kansas  lie  high  and  dry,  far  above  the  swamps  and  fogs 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  One  great  blessing  which  the 
settlers  of  this  new  territory  will  enjoy  over  those  in 
other  parts  is  graphically  described  by  an  old  squatter, 
thus :  "  'sketers  is  scuss."  It  would  seem  that  the  tiny 
insects  dry  up  and  blow  away.  The  salubrity  of  the 
climate  is  unquestionable. 


324  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Nebraska  is  divided  into  nine  counties,  viz.:  Douglass, 
Ottoe,  Richardson,  Dodge,  Dacotah,  Burt,  Cass,  Nemaha, 
and  Washington.  The  whole  white  population  numbers 
about  six  thousand  souls.  Nebraska  has  a  less  quantity 
of  valuable  timbered  land  than  Kansas.  The  south- 
western part  is  said  to  resemble  the  prairies  and  openings 
of  Iowa,  and  to  possess  a  deep  and  fertile  soil.  The  east- 
ern boundary  is  formed  by  the  Missouri  River  for  about 
twelve  hundred  miles.  The  Platte  River  is  the  principal 
stream  in  the  southern  part  of  the  territory.  There  are 
groves  of  timber  on  the  banks  of  the  Platte,  and  the 
bottom-lands  are  represented  as  strong,  and  capable  of 
sustaining  a  long  succession  of  crops.  The  soil  is  found 
to  have  a  limestone  basis.  It  is  reported  that  coal  has 
been  discovered  in  the  territory,  and  other  minerals ;  but 
it  is  certain  that  Nebraska  will  become  an  agricultural 
region.  The  climate  is  warmer  than  in  the  same  latitude 
east  of  the  lakes.  Owing  to  the  vast  extent  of  prairie 
surface,  the  changes  of  temperature  are  very  sudden  and 
very  great ;  and  the  winds  from  the  north  and  west  have 
a  wide  sweep  over  the  plains.  "  Squatter  law  "  prevails 
there  as  well  as  in  Kansas  ;  and  the  "  general  principles  " 
are  the  same  as  those  recognized  in  the  neighboring 
territory. 

Congress  has  appropriated  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
purpose  of  constructing  a  territorial  road  from  opposite 
Council  Bluffs  to  New  Fort  Kearney,  which,  when  com- 
pleted, will  greatly  facilitate  settlements  in  Nebraska. 
Also,  Congress  has  appropriated  thirty  thousand  dollars 
for  the  construction  of  a  military  road  from  the  Great 
Falls  of  the  Missouri  River,  to  intersect  the  military 
road  from  "Walla  "Walla  to  Puget's  Sound ;  which  will 
open  a  safe  thoroughfare  for  emigrants  through  central 
and  north-western  Nebraska. 


THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE.  325 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

KANSAS ITS    HISTORY  AND    POLITICS. 

THE  extensive  region  included  within  the  territories  of 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  was  annexed  to  the  United  States, 
by  virtue  of  a  treaty  with  France,  concluded  at  Paris,  on 
the  thirtieth  day  of  April,  1803.  It  formed  a  portion  of 
the  vast  tract  of  country  known  as  the  "  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase." That  purchase  embraced  all  the  lands  within 
the  limits  of  the  following  states  and  territories,  viz.: 
Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  Iowa;  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Minesota,  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River. 

In  December,  1818,  the  legislature  of  Missouri  Ter- 
ritory petitioned  Congress  for  admission  into  the  Union  as 
an  independent  state.  A  bill,  embodying  the  views  of  the 
petitioners,  having  been  accordingly  framed,  on  the  nine- 
teenth day  of  February  following,  an  amendment,  pro 
hibiting  the  further  introduction  of  slavery,  or  involuntary 
servitude,  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  eighty-seven  to  sev- 
enty-six, in  the  House  of  Representatives.  Also,  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  March,  another  amendment,  providing 
that  all  children  born  within  said  state  after  its  admission 
should  be  free  at  the  age  of  twenty -five  years,  was  adopted 
in  the  House,  by  a  vote  of  seventy-nine  to  sixty-seven. 
The  Senate  of  the  United  States,  however,  refused  to 
concur  in  these  two  amendments,  and  the  House,  insisting 
upon  them,  the  bill  did  not  pass  at  that  session.  But 
during  the  next  session  of  Congress,  when  the  Missouri 
bill  came  again  under  consideration,  in  order  to  free  the 


326  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

measure  from  the  embarrassment  resulting  from  the  dis- 
agreement of  the  two  houses,  a  compromise  was  effected, 
by  which  Missouri  was  to  be  admitted  as  a  slave  state, 
without  any  restriction  or  limitation  whatever,  as  to  the 
existence  of  slavery,  on  the  express  condition,  that  slavery 
should  be  forever  prohibited  in  all  the  territory  of  the 
United  States  north  of  the  line  of  thirty-six  degrees  and 
thirty  minutes  north  latitude.  For  that  purpose,  both 
houses  concurred  in  an  amendment  to  the  bill,  by  which 
it  was  enacted,  "  That  in  all  that  territory  ceded  by  France 
to  the  United  States  under  the  name  of  Louisiana,  which 
lies  north  of  thirty -six  degrees  and  thirty  minutes  north 
latitude,  excepting  only  such  part  thereof  as  is  included 
within  the  limits  of  the  state  contemplated  by  this  act, 
slavery  and  involuntary  servitude,  otherwise  than  in  the 
punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been 
duly  convicted,  shall  be,  and  is  hereby  forever  prohibited ; 
provided  always,  that  any  person  escaping  into  the  same, 
from  whom  labor  or  service  is  lawfully  claimed  in  any 
state  or  territory  of  the  United  States,  such  fugitive  may 
be  lawfully  reclaimed,  and  conveyed  to  the  person  claim- 
ing his  or  her  labor  or  service  as  aforesaid."  After  the 
incorporation  of  that  amendment,  the  bill  admitting  Mis- 
souri into  the  Union  was  passed  early  in  March,  1820. 
That  amendment  constituted  the  celebrated  compromise 
of  1820. 

The  principle  of  that  compromise  has  twice  been 
solemnly  recognized  and  reaffirmed.  First,  upon  the 
admission  of  Texas,  in  1845,  the  joint  resolution  of 
March  the  first  provides  that  such  states  as  may  be  formed 
out  of  that  portion  of  the  territory  of  Texas  which  lies 
south  of  thirty-six  degrees  and  thirty  minutes  north  lat- 
itude, commonly  known  as  the  Missouri  Compromise  Line, 
shall  be  admitted,  with  or  without  slavery,  as  the  people 


MISSOURI   COMPROMISE.  327 

of  each  state  asking  admission  may  desire ;  and  in  states 
formed  north  of  that  line,  slavery  shall  be  prohibited. 
And  second,  in  1848,  when  the  admission  of  Oregon  was 
under  consideration,  Mr.  Douglass,  in  the  Senate,  moved 
an  amendment,  by  which  the  Missouri  Compromise  Line 
was  extended  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  but  as  the  House  of 
Representatives  did  not  concur  in  the  amendment,  the 
Senate  receded,  and  substituted  a  clause  prohibiting 
slavery. 

Other  measures,  also,  of  the  federal  government,  run- 
ning through  a  period  of  more  than  thirty  years,  have  in 
some  instances  sanctioned  that  compromise;  in  others, 
recognized  it  as  binding  and  obligatory  upon  the  govern- 
ment and  people.  The  principle  of  sustaining  that  com- 
promise is  embraced  in  the  following  solemn  compacts 
among  the  people  of  the  United  States : 

1st.  The  admission  of  Missouri  as  a  slave  state. 

2d.    The  admission  of  Texas  into  the  Union. 

3d.    The  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Oregon. 

4th.  The  establishment  of  the  Texan  boundary. 

5th.  The  organization  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico. 

6th.  The  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Utah. 

7th.  The  admission  of  California. 

8th.  The  fugitive  slave  act. 

9th.  The  suppression  of  the  slave-trade  in  the  District 
of  Columbia. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  the  course  of  federal  legislation 
for  thirty  years,  the  act  providing  a  territorial  organiza- 
tion for  the  territories  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  approved 
the  twenty-seventh  day  of  May,  1854,  repeals  the  restric- 
tion upon  the  existence  of  slavery  north  of  the  line  of 
thirty-six  degrees  and  thirty  minutes  north  latitude,  and 
leaves  the  character  of  the  institutions  of  the  states  in 
contemplation  there,  with  respect  of  freedom  or  slavery, 


328  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

to  be  determined  by  a  contest  upon  the  soil.  From  thence 
have  followed  a  most  terrible  excitement  throughout  the 
entire  Union,  and  all  the  scenes  of  anarchy  and  blood 
that  have  been  enacted  within  those  territories.  For  the 
question,  once  supposed  to  have  been  finally  disposed  of, 
is  made  again  an  open  question  to  be  settled  by  political 
and  by  physical  force,  whether  the  new  states  shall  be 
free  states  or  slave  states.  Every  inhabitant  of  those 
territories  has  a  direct  personal  interest,  and  every  citizen 
of  the  United  States  a  political  interest,  in  the  settlement 
of  that  vexed  question.  As  the  controversy  has  now  got 
to  be  decided  within  the  territories  themselves,  the  advo- 
cates and  the  enemies  of  slavery  are  alike  hastening 
thither  to  secure  the  necessary  majorities,  to  sanction  or 
to  prohibit  the  existence  of  slavery. 

Hon.  A.  H.  Reeder,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  appointed 
Governor  of  Kansas  Territory;  and  Daniel  Woodson, 
of  Arkansas,  secretary.  The  first  election  of  delegate  to 
Congress  was  fixed  to  take  place  on  the  twenty-ninth  day 
of  November,  1854.  Governor  Reeder  had  appointed  elec- 
tion judges,  and  had  instructed  them  to  administer  the  oaths 
to  every  person  suspected  of  residing  in  another  state  or 
territory.  It  would  seem  to  have  been  determined  upon 
by  a  large  number  of  persons,  inhabitants  of  the  State  of 
Missouri,  to  vote  at  the  approaching  Kansas  election.  A 
few  days  before  the  polls  were  to  be  opened,  a  great  crowd 
assembled  at  St.  Joseph,  in  Missouri,  and  were  addressed 
by  General  Stringfellow,  with  reference  to  the  election 
soon  to  be  held  in  the  adjacent  territory.  In  the  course 
of  that  speech,  he  said:  "I  tell  you  to  mark  every 
scoundrel  among  you  that  is  the  least  tainted  with  free- 
soilism,  and  exterminate  him.  Neither  give  nor  take 
quarter  from  the  d — d  rascals.  To  those  who  have 
qualms  of  conscience,  as  to  violating  laws — state  or 


THE   FIRST   ELECTION   IN   KANSAS.  329 

national  —  the  time  has  come  when  such  impositions  must 
be  disregarded;  and  I  advise  you,  one  and  all,  to  enter 
every  election  district  in  Kansas,  in  defiance  of  Reeder 
and  his  vile  myrmidons,  and  vote  at  the  point  of  the 
bowie-knife  and  revolver.  What  right  has  Governor 
Reeder  to  rule  Missourians  in  Kansas  I  His  proclama- 
tion and  prescribed  oath  must  be  repudiated." 

Similar  gatherings  took  place  at  other  points  within  the 
Missouri  border.  On  the  day  of  the  election,  the  Mis- 
sourians, having  crossed  over  into  Kansas,  forcibly  took 
possession  of  the  polls  in  several  election  districts,  and 
deposited  their  votes  in  such  numbers  as  they  pleased. 
In  reference  to  those  transactions,  the  people  of  Kansas 
in  their  representation,  say :  "  The  first  ballot-box  that 
was  opened  upon  our  soil  was  closed  to  us  by  overpower- 
ing numbers  and  impending  force.  So  bold  and  reckless 
were  our  invaders,  that  they  cared  not  to  conceal  their 
attack.  They  came  upon  us,  not  in  the  guise  of  voters, 
to  steal  away  our  franchise,  but  openly,  to  snatch  it  with 
a  strong  hand.  They  came  directly  from  their  own 
homes,  and  in  compact  and  organized  bands,  with  arms  in 
hand,  and  provisions  for  the  expedition,  marched  to  our 
polls;  and  when  the  work  was  done,  returned  whence 
they  came.  It  is  enough  to  say,  that  in  three  districts — in 
which,  by  the  most  irrefragable  evidence,  there  were  not 
one  hundred  and  fifty  voters,  most  of  whom  refused  to 
participate  in  the  mockery  of  the  elective  franchise — these 
invaders  polled  over  a  thousand  votes."  It  is  alleged 
that,  in  consequence  of  this  violation  of  the  elective 
franchise,  Whitfield  was  elected  over  his  competitors,  as 
the  delegate  for  Kansas  to  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 

In  the  spring  following,  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  March, 
at  the  election  of  members  of  the  territorial  legislature. 


330  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

Kansas  was  again  invaded  by  persons  foreign  to  its  terri- 
tory, and  similar  scenes  were  reenacted  on  a  grander 
scale  of  violence  and  outrage.  Concerning  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  Missourians  on  the  day  of  that  election,  the 
people  of  Kansas,  in  their  representation,  make  the  fol- 
lowing statement:  "They  (the  Missourians)  arrived  at 
their  several  destinations  the  night  before  the  election,  and 
having  pitched  their  camps,  and  placed  their  sentries, 
waited  for  the  coming  day.  Baggage  wagons  were  there, 
with  arms  and  ammunition  enough  for  a  protracted  fight, 
and  among  them  two  brass  field-pieces,  ready  charged. 
They  came  with  drums  beating,  and  flags  flying,  and  their 
leaders  were  of  the  most  prominent  and  conspicuous  men 
of  their  respective  states.  In  the  morning,  they  sur- 
rounded the  polls,  armed  with  guns,  bowie-knives,  and 
revolvers,  and  declared  their  determination  to  vote  at  all 
hazards,  and  in  spite  of  all  consequences.  If  the  judges 
could  be  made  to  subserve  their  purposes,  and  receive 
their  votes,  and  if  no  obstacle  was  cast  in  their  way,  their 
leaders  exerted  themselves  to  preserve  peace  and  order  in 
the  conduct  of  the  election;  but,  at  the  same  time,  did 
not  hesitate  to  declare  that,  if  not  allowed  to  vote,  they 
would  proceed  to  any  extremity  in  destruction  of  property 
and  life.  If  the  control  of  the  polls  could  not  be  had 
otherwise,  the  judges  were,  by  intimidation,  and,  if  neces- 
sary, by  violence,  prevented  from  performing  their  duty, 
or,  if  unyielding  in  this  respect,  were  driven  from  their 
post,  and  the  vacancy  filled  in  form  by  the  persons  on  the 
ground ;  and  whenever,  by  any  means,  they  had  obtained 
the  control  of  the  board,  the  foreign  vote  was  promiscu- 
ously poured  in,  without  discrimination  or  reserve,  or  the 
slightest  care  to  conceal  its  nefarious  illegality.  At  one 
of  the  polls,  two  of  the  judges  having  stood  up  in  the  face 
of  an  armed  mob,  and  declared  they  would  do  their  duty, 


ELECTION   OUTRAGES.  331 

one  portion  of  the  mob  commenced  to  tear  down  the 
house,  another  proceeded  to  break  in  the  door  of  the 
judge's  room,  while  others,  with  drawn  knives,  posted 
themselves  at  the  window,  with  the  proclaimed  purpose 
of  killing  any  voter  who  would  allow  himself  to  be  sworn 
Voters  were  dragged  from  the  window,  because  they 
would  not  show  their  tickets,  or  vote  at  the  dictation  of 
the  mob ;  and  the  invaders  declared  openly,  at  the  polls, 
that  they  would  cut  the  throats  of  the  judges,  if  they  did 
not  receive  their  votes  without  requiring  an  oath  as  to 
their  residence.  The  room  was  finally  forced,  and  the 
judges,  surrounded  by  an  armed  and  excited  crowd,  were 
offered  the  alternative  of  resignation  or  death,  and  five 
minutes  were  allowed  for  their  decision.  The  ballot-box 
was  seized,  and,  amid  shouts  of  'hurrah  for  Missouri,'  was 
carried  into  the  mob.  The  two  menaced  judges  then  left 
the  ground,  together  with  all  the  resident  citizens,  except 
a  few  who  acted  in  the  outrage,  because  the  result 
expected  from  it  corresponded  to  their  own  views. 

"  When  an  excess  of  the  foreign  force  was  found  to  be 
had  at  one  poll,  detachments  were  sent  to  the  others. 
....  A  minister  of  the  gospel,  who  refused  to  accede  to 
the  demands  of  a  similar  mob  of  some  four  hundred  armed 
and  organized  men,  was  driven  by  violence  from  his  post, 
and  the  vacancy  filled  by  themselves Another  cler- 
gyman, for  the  expression  of  his  opinion,  was  assaulted  and 

beaten The  inhabitants  of  the  district — powerless 

to  resist  the  abundant  supply  of  arms  and  ammunition, 
organized  preparation,  and  overwhelming  numbers  of  the 

foreigners — left  the  polls  without  voting In  the 

Lawrence  district,  one   voter  was   fired  at,  as  he  was 

driven  from  the  election  ground Finding  they  had 

a  greater  force  than  was  necessary  for  that  poll,  some  two 
hundred  men  were  drafted  from  the  number,  and  sent  off, 


332  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

under  the  proper  officers,  to  another  district;  after  which 
they  still  polled  from  this  camp  seven  hundred  votes. 
....  In  the  fourth  and  seventh  districts,  the  invaders 
came  together  in  an  armed  and  organized  body,  with  trains 
of  fifty  wagons,  besides  horsemen ;  and  the  night  before- 
election,  pitched  their  camps  in  the  vicinity  of  the  polls; 
and  having  appointed  their  own  judges,  in  place  of  those 
who,  from  intimidation  or  otherwise,  failed  to  attend,  they 
voted  without  any  proof  of  residence.  In  these  two  elec- 
tion districts,  where  the  census  shows  one  hundred  voters, 
there  were  polled  three  hundred  and  fourteen  votes;  and 
last  fall,  seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  votes,  although  a 
large  part  of  the  actual  residents  did  not  vote  on  either 
occasion From  a  careful  examination  of  the  re- 
turns, we  are  satisfied  that  over  three  thousand  votes 
were  thus  cast  by  the  citizens  and  residents  of  the  states." 
A  legislature,  so  elected,  was  altogether  pro-slavery, 
and  no  more  represented  the  people  of  Kansas  than  it  did 
the  man  in  the  moon.  Some  of  its  members  were  not,  at 
the  time  of  its  assembling,  in  July,  and  never  had  been, 
residents  of  the  territory,  but  were  living  in  the  State  of 
Missouri,  while  legislating  for  Kansas.  One  of  the  acts 
of  the  legislature  provides  a  very  cheap  method  of  ob- 
taining the  right  to  vote  at  any  election  in  the  territory, 
without  requiring  a  residence  within  its  borders  for  a  sin- 
gle day.  It  opens  the  ballot-boxes  for  a  dollar  a  head  to 
all  citizens  from  Maine  to  California,  no  matter  where 
they  may  reside.  The  enactment  is  as  follows:  "That 
every  free  white  male  above  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
who  shall  pay  to  the  proper  officer  in  Kansas  Territory  the 
sum  of  one  dollar  as  a  poll-tax,  and  shall  produce  to  the 
judges  of  any  election  within  and  for  the  territory  of 
Kansas,  a  receipt  showing  the  paying  of  said  poll-tax, 
shall  be  deemed  a  legal  voter,  and  shall  be  entitled  to  vote 


LAWS  RESPECTING  SLAVE  PROPERTY.  333 

at  any  election  in  said  territory  during  the  year  for  which 
the  same  shall  have  been  paid."  This  is  the  first  time 
the  elective  franchise  has  ever  been  put  up  for  sale  within 
the  United  States. 

That  legislature  then  proceeded  to  a  wholesale  and  an 
indiscriminate  adoption  of  the  statute  laws  of  Missouri, 
and  then,  to  conceal  the  evidences  of  indecent  haste,  sub- 
sequently enacted  that  wherever  the  word  "  state  "  oc- 
curred in  those  statutes,  the  word  "  territory  "  should  be 
substituted. 

The  following  statutes  were  also  passed,  for  the  pro- 
tection of  slave  property,  which  are  here  inserted  in  full 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  design  settling  in  Kansas  : 

AN  ACT  TO  PUNISH  OFFENSES  AGAINST  SLAVE  PROPERTY. 

§1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Governor  and  Legislative 
Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Kansas,  That  every  person, 
bond  or  free,  who  shall  be  convicted  of  actually  raising  a 
rebellion  or  insurrection  of  slaves,  free  negroes,  or  mu- 
lattoes,  in  this  territory,  shall  suffer  death. 

§  2.  Every  free  person  who  shall  aid  or  assist  in  any 
rebellion  or  insurrection  of  slaves,  free  negroes,  or  inulat- 
toes,  or  shall  furnish  arms,  or  do  any  overt  act  in  further- 
ance of  such  rebellion  or  insurrection,  shall  suffer  death 

§3.  If  any  free  person  shall,  by  speaking,  writing,  or 
printing,  advise,  persuade,  or  induce  any  slave  to  rebel, 
conspire  against,  or  murder  any  citizen  of  the  territory,  or 
shall  bring  into,  print,  write,  publish,  or  circulate,  or  cause 
to  be  brought  into,  printed,  written,  published  or  circulated, 
or  shall  knowingly  aid  or  assist  in  the  bringing  into,  print- 
ing, writing,  publishing,  or  circulating,  in  this  territory, 
any  book,  paper,  magazine,  pamphlet,  or  circular,  for  the 
purpose  of  exciting  insurrection,  rebellion,  revolt,  or  con- 
spiracy on  the  part  of  the  slaves,  free  negroes,  or  mulattoes 
15  V 


334  THE  GREAT  WEST. 

against  the  citizens  of  the  territory,  or  any  part  of  them, 
such  person  shall  be  guilty  of  felony,  and  suffer  death. 

§  4.  If  any  person  shall  entice,  decoy,  or  carry  away 
out  of  this  territory  any  slave  belonging  to  another,  with 
the  intent  to  deprive  the  owner  thereof  of  the  services  of 
such  slave,  or  with  intent  to  effect  or  procure  the  freedom 
of  such  slave,  he  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of  grand  larceny, 
and,  on  conviction  thereof,  shall  suffer  death,  or  be  im- 
prisoned at  hard  labor  for  not  less  than  ten  years. 

§  5.  If  any  person  aid  or  assist  in  enticing,  decoying,  or 
persuading,  or  carrying  away,  or  sending  out  of  this  ter- 
ritory, any  slave  belonging  to  another,  with  intent  to  pro- 
cure or  effect  the  freedom  of  such  slave,  or  with  intent  to 
deprive  the  owner  thereof  of  the  services  of  such  slave, 
he  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of  grand  larceny,  and  on  con- 
viction thereof  shall  suffer  death,  or  be  imprisoned  at  hard 
labor  for  not  less  than  ten  years. 

§  6.  If  any  person  shall  entice,  decoy,  or  carry  away, 
out  of  any  state  or  other  territory  of  the  United  States, 
any  slave  belonging  to  another,  with  intent  to  procure  or 
effect  the  freedom  of  such  slave,  or  to  deprive  the  owner 
thereof  of  the  services  of  such  slave,  and  shall  bring  such 
slave  into  this  territory,  he  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of 
grand  larceny,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  such  slave  had 
been  enticed,  decoyed,  or  carried  away  out  of  this  terri- 
tory; and  in  such  case  the  larceny  may  be  cnarged  to 
have  been  committed  in  any  county  of  this  territory,  into 
or  through  which  such  slave  shall  have  been  brought  by 
such  person ;  and  on  conviction  thereof,  the  person  offend- 
ing shall  suffer  death,  or  be  imprisoned  at  hard  labor  for 
not  less  than  ten  years. 

§  7.  If  any  person  shall  entice,  persuade,  or  induce  any 
slave  to  escape  from  the  service  of  his  master  or  owner 
in  this  territory,  or  shall  aid  or  assist  any  slave  in  escap 


LAWS  RESPECTING  SLAVE  PROPERTY.  335 

ing  from  the  service  of  his  master  or  owner,  or  shall  assist, 
harbor,  or  conceal  any  slave  who  may  have  escaped  from 
the  service  of  his  master  or  owner,  he  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  felony,  and  punished  by  imprisonment  at  hard 
labor  for  a  term  of  not  less  than  five  years. 

§  8.  If  any  person  in  this  territory  shall  aid  or  assist, 
harbor  or  conceal,  any  slave  who  has  escaped  from  the 
service  of  his  master  or  owner  in  another  state  or  ter- 
ritory, such  persons  shall  be  punished  in  like  manner  as 
if  such  slave  had  escaped  from  the  service  of  his  mas- 
ter or  owner  in  this  territory. 

§  9.  If  any  person  shall  resist  any  officer  while  attempt- 
ing to  arrest  any  slave  that  may  have  escaped  from  the 
service  of  his  master  or  owner,  or  shall  rescue  such  slave 
when  in  custody  of  any  officer  or  other  person,  or  shall  entice, 
persuade,  aid,  or  assist  such  slave  to  escape  from  the  cus- 
tody of  any  officer  or  other  person  who  may  have  such 
slave  in  custody,  whether  such  slave  may  have  escaped 
from  the  service  of  his  master  or  owner  in  this  territory, 
or  in  any  other  state  or  territory,  the  person  so  offending 
shall  be  guilty  of  felony,  and  punished  by  imprisonment 
at  hard  labor  for  a  term  of  not  less  than  two  years. 

§  10.  If  any  marshal,  sheriff,  or  constable,  or  the  de- 
puty of  any  such  officer,  shall,  when  required  by  any 
person,  refuse  to  aid  or  assist  in  the  arrest  and  capture  of 
any  slave  that  may  have  escaped  from  the  service  of  his 
master  or  owner,  whether  such  slave  shall  have  escaped 
from  his  master  or  owner  in  this  territory,  or  any  state  or 
other  territory,  such  officer  shall  be  fined  in  a  sum  of  not 
less  than  one  hundred,  or  more  than  five  hundred  dollars. 

§  11.  If  any  person  print,  write,  introduce  into,  publish, 
or  circulate,  or  cause  to  be  brought  into,  printed,  written, 
published,  or  circulated,  or  shall  knowingly  aid  or  assist 
in  bringing  into,  printing,  publishing,  or  circulating,  within 


336  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

this  territory,  any  book,  paper,  pamphlet,  magazine,  hand- 
bill, or  circular,  containing  any  statements,  arguments, 
opinion,  sentiment,  doctrine,  advice,  or  inuendo,  calculated 
to  produce  a  disorderly,  dangerous,  or  rebellious  disaffec- 
tion among  the  slaves  in  this  territory,  or  to  induce  such 
slaves  to  escape  from  the  service  of  their  masters,  or  to 
resist  their  authority,  he  shall  be  guilty  of  felony,  and  be 
punished  by  imprisonment  at  hard  labor  for  a  term  not 
less  than  five  years. 

§  12.  If  any  free  person,  by  speaking  or  writing,  assert 
or  maintain  that  persons  have  not  the  right  to  hold  slaves 
in  this  territory,  or  shall  introduce  into  this  territory, 
print,  publish,  write,  circulate,  or  cause  to  be  introduced 
into  this  territory,  written,  printed,  published  or  circulated 
in  this  territory,  any  book,  paper,  magazine,  pamphlet, 
or  circular,  containing  any  denial  of  the  right  of  persons 
to  hold  slaves  in  this  territory,  such  person  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  felony,  and  punished  by  imprisonment  at  hard 
labor  for  a  term  of  not  less  than  two  years. 

§13.  No  person  who  is  conscientiously  opposed  to  hold- 
ing slaves,  or  who  does  not  admit  the  right  to  hold  slaves 
in  this  territory,  shall  sit  as  a  juror  on  the  trial  of  any 
prosecution,  for  any  violation  of  any  of  the  sections  of 
this  act. 

AN  ACT  TO  PUNISH  PERSONS  DECOYING  SLAVES  FROM 
THEIR  MASTERS. 

§1.  Be  it  enacted  by  tJie  Governor  and  Legislative  As- 
sembly of  Kansas  Territory :  If  any  person  shall  entice, 
decoy,  or  carry  away  out  of  this  territory,  any  slave  be- 
longing to  another,  with  intent  to  deprive  the  owner 
thereof  of  the  services  of  such  slave,  or  with  intent  to 
effect  or  procure  the  freedom  of  such  slaves,  he  shall  be 
adjudged  guilty  of  grand  larceny,  and  on  conviction 
thereof,  shall  suffer  death. 


FREE   SOIL   STATE   CONVENTION.  337 

§2.  If  any  person  shall  aid  or  assist  in  enticing,  decoy- 
ing, or  persuading,  or  carrying  away,  or  sending  out  of 
this  territory,  any  slave  belonging  to  another,  with  intent 
to  procure  or  effect  the  freedom  of  such  slave,  or  with  in- 
tent to  deprive  the  owner  thereof  of  the  services  of  such 
slave,  he  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of  grand  larceny,  and 
on  conviction  thereof,  shall  suffer  death. 

§3.  If  any  person  shall  entice,  decoy,  or  carry  away 
out  of  any  state  or  other  territory  of  the  United  States, 
any  slave  belonging  to  another,  with  intent  to  procure  or 
effect  the  freedom  of  such  slave,  or  to  deprive  the  owner 
thereof  of  the  services  of  such  slave,  and  shall  bring  such 
slave  into  this  territory,  he  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of 
grand  larceny,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  such  slave  had 
been  enticed,  decoyed,  or  carried  sway  out  of  this  terri- 
ory ;  in  such  case  the  larceny  may  be  charged  to  have 
been  committed  in  any  county  of  this  territory  into  or 
through  which  such  slave  shall  have  been  brought  by 
such  person,  and,  on  conviction  thereof,  the  person  offend- 
ing shall  suffer  death. 

The  sober  and  well-intended  residents  of  the  territory 
seem  at  once  to  have  repudiated  the  action  of  the  territo- 
rial legislature.  They  regarded  it  as  an  assemblage  that 
had  been  forced  upon  them.  They  determined  not  to 
submit  to  the  control  of  a  body  —  many  of  whose  mem- 
bers were  non-residents,  and  all  of  whom  had  been  elected 
to  office  by  non-resident  voters  over  the  heads  of  voters 
of  the  territory.  On  the  fifth  day  of  September,  1855,  a 
convention  representing  the  people  of  Kansas  was  held  at 
Big  Springs,  numbering  in  all  one  hundred  delegates. 
That  convention  resolved  to  repudiate  all  the  acts  of  the 
territorial  legislature;  to  take  no  part  in  the  election  of  a 
delegate,  which  that  body  had  appointed  to  be  held ;  but 
to  appoint  an  election  to  be  held  one  week  after  that  one 


338  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Ex-Governor  Reeder,  who  had  been  removed  by  the  Pre- 
sident, and  Governor  Shannon  appointed  in  his  place,  was 
agreed  upon  as  candidate  for  delegate.  It  was  expected 
that  he  would  be  elected  without  much  opposition;  and 
that,  as  Mr.  Whitfield  would  be  again  elected  by  the  Mis- 
sourians,  the  effect  would  be  to  bring  the  question  of 
popular  rights  in  Kansas  before  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives at  Washington.  A  committee  of  the  House 
was  sent,  in  April  last,  1856,  to  Kansas,  for  the  purpose 
of  investigating  the  character  of  these  elections. 

Another  convention,  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  Septem- 
ber, assembled  at  Topeka,  and  adopted  a  resolution,  "by 
the  people  of  Kansas  Territory,  in  delegate  convention 
assembled,"  authorizing  the  holding  of  an  election  on  the 
second  Tuesday  of  October,  for  members  of  a  convention 
to  form  a  state  constitution,  preparatory  to  application  for 
admission  into  the  Union.  The  number  of  delegates  was 
fixed  at  fifty-two,  and  the  convention  was  authorized  to 
be  held  at  Topeka  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  of  October. 
The  election  was  accordingly  held  at  the  appointed  time. 
No  non-resident  was  permitted  to  vote,  and  no  resident 
who  had  not  been  such  for  at  least  thirty  days.  The 
constitutional  convention  assembled,  and  adopted  a  con- 
stitution for  the  State  of  Kansas,  eminently  republican 
in  its  character,  and  commending  itself  to  the  people 
of  the  territory,  by  whom  it  was  ratified,  and  who, 
soon  afterward,  proceeded  to  the  election  of  state  officers 
to  carry  the  new  government  into  effect.  That,  in  brief, 
is  the  political  position  of  the  people  of  Kansas,  who  are 
now  awaiting  the  action  of  the  federal  government  to 
recognise  them  as  a  free  and  independent  state.  Charles 
Robinson  was  elected  governor. 


AID  SOCIETIES  AND   PREEMPTIONS.  339 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AID  SOCIETIES  AND  PREEMPTIONS. 

SEVERAL  societies  have  been  organized  in  the  eastern 
and  middle  states,  to  facilitate  emigration  to  Kansas;  and 
through  them  such  arrangements  have  been  made  with 
the  different  railroad  and  steamboat  lines  as  lessens  very 
materially  the  expense  of  removing  to  those  distant  re- 
gions. Under  these  arrangements,  the  following  tables 
will  show  the  routes,  distances,  time,  and  fares,  from  New 
York  to  St.  Louis. 

From  New  York,  via  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad, 
Lake  Shore  Railroad,  and  Chicago  and  Mississippi  Rail- 
road, to  St.  Louis  ;  fare,  twenty -eight  dollars  —  meals 
and  state-rooms  extra. 

To  Dunkirk 460  miles. 

Thence  to  Toledo, 254  " 

"  Chicago, 243  " 

"  Alton 290  " 

"  St.  Louis, 25  " 

"  Kansas, 450  " 

From  New  York  to  Kansas,      .    .  1,722  miles. 

From  New  York,  vid  Hudson  River  Railroad,  New 
York  Central  Railroad,  Southern  Michigan  Railroad, 
and  Chicago  and  Mississippi  Railroad,  to  St.  Louis; 
fare  to  St.  Louis,  twenty-six  dollars ;  whole  distance, 
1,760  miles. 


340  THE   GREAT   WEST. 

Upon  the  same  route,  but  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago  by 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  the  fare  is  the  same  and 
distance  the  same. 

Upon  the  same  route,  but  by  Hudson  River  steam- 
boats, and  through  Canada  by  the  Great  "Western  Rail- 
way; fare,  twenty-eight  dollars;  distance,  1,736  miles. 

From  Pittsburg  to  St.  Louis,  by  steamboat  —  fare,  gen- 
erally, about  ten  dollars,  meals  and  state-rooms  included. 

Down  the  Ohio  River,     ....    1,006  miles. 

To  St.  Louis, 177      " 

St.  Louis  to  Kansas, 450      " 

Pittsburg  to  Kansas, 1,633  miles. 

Fare,  from  St.  Louis  to  Kansas,  from  eight  to  ten 
dollars. 

The  average  time  from  New  York  to  Kansas  is  about 
twelve  days. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Kansas,  with  its  fertile  soil, 
and  genial  climate,  and  the  strong  political  motives  just 
now  operating  to  encourage  settlement,  will  speedily  fill 
up  with  inhabitants  coming  from  all  parts  of  the  Union. 
None  need  be  disappointed  in  their  expectations.  The 
state  of  the  controversy  respecting  the  existence  of  slavery 
in  the  territory  is  well  known.  Those  who  would  prefer 
a  home  where  politics  are  undisturbed  by  any  stong  ele- 
ment of  agitation  had  better  go  into  the  more  northern 
territory.  Nebraska  will  furnish  room  for  immigrants  for 
many  years  to  come. 

The  expense  of  removing  to  the  West,  and  the  hard- 
ships that  have  to  be  endured,  are  exceedingly  discour- 
aging to  persons  of  very  limited  means ;  and,  although 
Congress  has  not  authorized  the  sale  of  the  public  lands 
upon  credit,  yet  provision  has  been  made  by  which  the 


PREEMPTION  LAWS.  341 

settler  has  allowed  him  a  certain  period,  within  which 
"to  turn  himself,"  and  make  his  payments.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  preemption  act  of  1841 : 

"  §  10.  And  lye  it  further  enacted,  that  from  and  after 
the  passage  of  this  act,  every  person,  being  the  head 
of  a  family,  or  widow,  or  single  man  over  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  and  being  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
or  having  filed  his  declaration  of  intention  to  become  a 
citizen,  as  required  by  the  naturalization  laws,  who,  since 
the  first  day  of  June,  Anno  Domini  eighteen  hundred  and 
forty,  has  made,  or  shall  hereafter  make,  a  settlement,  in 
person,  on  the  public  lands,  to  which  the  Indian  title  has 
been  at  the  time  of  such  settlement  extinguished,  and 
which  has  been,  or  shall  have  been,  surveyed  prior  thereto, 
and  who  shall  inhabit  and  improve  the  same,  and  who  has 
or  shall  erect  a  dwelling-house  thereon,  shall  be,  and  is  here- 
by authorized  to  enter  with  the  register  of  the  land-office  for 
the  district  in  which  such  lands  may  be,  by  legal  subdi- 
visions, any  number  of  acres  not  exceeding  one  hundred 
and  sixty,  or  a  quarter-section  of  land,  to  include  the  resi- 
dence of  such  claimant,  upon  paying  to  the  United  States 
the  minimum  price  of  such  land ;  subject,  however,  to  the 
following  limitations  and  exceptions :  No  person  shall  be 
entitled  to  more  than  one  preemptive  right  by  virtue  of 
this  act ;  no  person  who  is  the  proprietor  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  any  state  or  territory  of  the 
United  States,  and  no  person  who  shall  quit  or  abandon 
his  residence  on  his  own  land  to  reside  on  the  public  land 
in  the  same  state  or  territory,  shall  acquire  any  right  of 
preemption  under  this  act: 

"  §  11.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That,  when  two  or 
more  persons  shall  have  settled  on  the  same  quarter-sec- 
tion of  land,  the  right  of  preemption  shall  be  in  him  or 
her  who  made  the  first  settlement,  provided  such  persons 
15* 


312  THE   GEEAT   WEST. 

shall  conform  to  the  other  provisions  of  this  act :  and  all 
question  as  to  the  right  of  preemption,  arising  between 
different  settlers,  shall  be  settled  by  the  register  and  re- 
ceiver of  the  district  within  which  the  land  is  situated, 
subject  to  an  appeal  to,  and  a  Reversion  by,  the  secretary 
of  the  treasury  of  the  United  States. 

"  §  12.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That,  prior  to  any 
entries  being  made  under  and  by  virtue  of  the  provisions 
of  this  act,  proof  of  the  settlement  and  improvement 
thereby  acquired  shall  be  made  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  register  and  receiver  of  the  land  district  in  which 
such  lands  may  lie,  agreeable  to  such  rules  as  shall  be 
prescribed  by  the  secretary  of  the  treasury,  who  shall  each 
be  entitled  to  receive  fifty  cents  from  each  applicant  for 
his  service,  to  be  rendered  as  aforesaid  :  and  all  assign- 
ments and  transfers  of  the  right  hereby  secured,  prior  to 
the  issuing  of  the  patent,  shall  be  null  and  void. 

"§  13.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That,  before  any  per- 
son claiming  the  benefit  of  this  act  shall  be  allowed  to 
enter  such  lands,  he  or  she  shall  make  oath,  before  the 
receiver  or  register  of  the  land  district  in  which  the  land 
is  situated,  who  are  hereby  authorized  to  administer  the 
same,  that  he  or  she  has  never  had  the  benefit  of  any 
right  of  preemption  under  this  act:  that  he  or  she  is  not 
the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
any  state  or  territory  of  the  United  States,  nor  hath  he 
or  she  settled  upon  or  improved  said  land  to  sell  the  same 
on  speculation,  but  in  good  faith  to  appropriate  it  to  his 
or  her  own  exclusive  use  and  benefit,  and  that  he  or  she 
has  not  directly  or  indirectly  made  any  agreement  or  con- 
tract, in  any  way  or  manner,  with  any  person  or  persons 
whatsoever,  by  which  the  title,  which  he  or  she  might 
acquire  from  the  government  of  United  States,  should 
insure,  in  whole  or  in  part,  to  the  benefit  of  any  person 


PREEMPTION  LAWS.  343 

except  himself  or  herself;  and  if  any  person  taking  such 
oath  shall  swear  falsely  in  the  premises,  he  or  she  shall 
be  subjected  to  all  the  pains  and  penalties  of  perjury,  and 
shall  forfeit  the  money  which  he  or  she  may  have  paid 
for  said  land,  and  all  right  and  title  to  the  same :  and  any 
grant  or  conveyance  which  he  or  she  may  have  made, 
except  in  the  hands  of  bona-jide  purchasers  for  a  valuable 
consideration,  shall  be  null  and  void;  and  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  officer  administering  such  oath  to  file  a  certi- 
ficate thereof  in  the  public  land-office  of  such  district,  and 
to  transmit  a  duplicate  copy  to  the  General  Land  Office, 
either  of  which  shall  be  good  and  sufficient  evidence  that 
such  oath  was  administered  according  to  law. 

"  §  14.  And  be  if  further  enacted,  That,  this  act  shall  not 
delay  the  sale  of  any  of  the  public  lands  of  the  United 
States,  beyond  the  time  which  has  been,  or  may  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  proclamation  of  the  President,  nor  shall  the 
provisions  of  this  act  be  available  to  any  person  or  persons 
who  shall  fail  to  make  the  proof  and  payment,  and  file  the 
affidavit  required,  before  the  day  appointed  for  the  com- 
mencement of  the  sales  aforesaid. 

"  §  15.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That,  whenever  any 
person  has  settled  or  shall  settle  and  improve  a  tract  of 
land  subject  at  the  time  of  settlement  to  private  entry, 
and  shall  intend  to  purchase  the  same  under  the  provi- 
sions of  this  act,  such  person  shall  in  the  first  case, 
within  three  month  after  passage  of  the  same,  and  in  the 
last  within  thirty  days  next  after  the  date  of  each  settle- 
ment, file  with  the  register  of  the  proper  district  a  written 
statement,  describing  the  land  settled  upon,  and  declaring 
the  intention  of  such  person  to  claim  the  same  under  the 
provisions  of  this  act ;  and  shall,  where  such  settlement  is 
already  made,  within  twelve  months  after  passage  of  this 
act,  and  where  it  shall  hereafter  be  made  within  the  same 


344  THE   GREAT  WEST. 

period  after  €he  date  of  such  settlement,  make  the  proof, 
affidavit,  and  payment  herein  required. 
"Approved  Sept.  4tk.,  1841." 

i 

In  1854,  further  provision  respecting  preemptions  was 
made  by  the  act  providing  for  the  graduation  in  the  price 
of  the  public,  lands.  The  first  section  provides,  in  sub- 
stance, that  the  lands  which  have  been  in  market  ten 
years  shall  be  subject  to  entry  at  one  dollar  per  acre ; 
fifteen  years,  at  seventy-five  cents  per  acre :  falling  in 
price  twenty-five  cents  on  an  acre  every  five  years,  until 
the  lands  shall  have  fallen  to  twelve  and  one-half  cents 
per  acre. 

The  second  section  provides,  "  That  upon  every  reduc- 
tion in  price,  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  the  occupant 
and  settler  upon  the  lands  shall  have  the  right  of  pre- 
emption, at  such  graduated  price,  upon  the  same  terms, 
conditions,  restrictions,  and  limitations,  upon  which  the 
public  lands  of  the  United  States  are  now  subject  to  the 
right  of  preemption,  until  within  thirty  days  preceding  the 
next  graduation  or  reduction  that  shall  take  place;  and 
if  not  so  purchased,  shall  again  be  subject  to  the  right  of 
preemption  for  eleven  months,  as  before:"  and  so  on, 
from  time  to  time,  as  reductions  shall  take  place. 

The  oath  and  proof  required  by  this  act  are  similar  to 
the  Act  of  1841,  and  are  to  be  made  before  the  register 
and  receiver,  who  are  entitled  to  a  fee  of  fifty  cents  each 
for  their  services. 

The  provisions  of  the  preemption  laws  are  all  very 
well  so  far  as  they  go ;  but  another  step  will  undoubtedly 
be  taken,  and  the  hardy  settler,  battling  with  privation 
and  toil,  remote  from  civilization,  redeeming  the  wilder- 
ness, and  peopling  the  waste,  will  be  rewarded,  under 
suitable  restrictions,  with  the  fee  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  for  his  pains. 


THE  WEST FUTUKE    SEAT  OF  EMPIRE.         345 

From  the  survey  which  has  been  taken  of  the  states 
and  territories  of  the  Great  West,  it  is  evident,  that  the 
seat  of  empire  on  the  continent  of  North  America  is  being 
removed  to  the  regions  around  the  lakes  and  upon  the 
upper  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi.  The  people  inhab- 
iting these  are  profoundly  interested  in  the  continuance, 
the  peace,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  whole  Union.  They 
grasp  the  east  by  means  of  the  lakes ;  they  grasp  the 
south,by  means  of  the  Mississippi.  The  people  of  the 
West  will  not  dissolve  the  Union  themselves ;  and  they 
will  not  permit  any  body  else  to  do  it.  Their  watch- 
word is  "  Liberty  and  union,  now  and  forever,  one  and 
inseparable ! " 


TABLE   OF   DISTANCES. 


347 


TABLE  OF  DISTANCES 

TIA  THE 

PRINCIPAL  THOROUGHFARES  TO  THE  GREAT  WEST. 


Front  Boston  to  JViu  York. 
Boston  to 

St.  Johnsville             ..64 

Yonkers  .  .  ...  17 

Little  Falls  74 

Hastings  .....  21 

Herkimer          ..     ...  81 

Clappville                    -     63 

Dobbs  Ferry  22 

Ilion  83 

Irvington  ._.__..____"_.  25 

Frankfort  .  ..  .  88 

Tarrytown  27 

Utica                  95 

East  Brookfield                64 

Sing  Sing  32 

Whitesboro'                   .  99 

Brookfield  67 

West  Brookfield               69 

Crugers  36 
Peekskill  43 

Oriskany  102 

Rome                   -            109 

Warren  73 

Garrison's  61 
Cold  Spring  64 

Green's  Corners  114 
Verona                            118 

Palmer                 .        .83 

Fishkill  60 

Oneida    122 

Indian  Orchard  92 
Springfield       .  98 

New  Hamburg  66 
Poughkeepsie  75 
Hyde  Park  81 

Wampsville  125 

Canastota  127 

West  Springfield           .100 

Westfield           -          .  108 

Staatsburg  85 

Chittenango                     133 

Russell  116 

Huntingdon                 _.  119 

Rhinebeck  91 
Barrytown  

Kirkville  137 

Manilas                             140 

Chester  Factory  126 
Middlefield 

Tivoli  100 

Germantown  105 

Syracuse  148 
Warner's                 --  -.157 

Becket  135 

Washington                    138 

Oak  Hill  110 
Hudson    116 

Canton  159 

•Hinsdale        143 

Stockport  120 

Weedsport            ...     169 

Dalton                        .     146 

Coxsackie  12,'! 

Port  Byron                      172 

Pittsfield  151 

Stuyvesant  126 
Schodack  133 

Savannah  179 

Clyde                 .             186 

Shaker  Village                154 

Richmond  ...            ...159 

Castleton  136 
East  Albany  144 

Lyons  193 

Newark  198 

Palmyra                            206 

State  Line  162 

Canaan                            167 

East  Chatham                  172 

Albany  to  Buffalo. 
Albany  to 
Troy...  
Schenectady  .  17 
Hoffman's  26 

Macedon  210 

Chatham  Four-Corners  177 
Chatham  Center  181 
Kinderhook  184 
Schodack  '.  192 

Fairport  219 

Rochester  229 

Cold  Water    .     ..        .235 

Chili                                239 

Greenbush  .     .                199 

Crane's  Village  30 

Churchville                     244 

Albany  200 

Amsterdam  33 

Bergen  .          .....        247 

New  York  344 

Tribe's  Hill  39 
Fonda             .  44 

West  Bergen  251 

Byron                                254 

New  York  to  Albany. 
New    York,    Chambers 
street,  to 
Thlrtr-flrst  street  .    8 

Yost's  49 

Batavia  ...  261 

Spraker's  62 

Palatine  Bridge  55 
Port  Plain..,              ..  68 

Croft's  268 
Pembroke  272 

Alden...                    ...271 

348 


THE    GREAT    WEST. 


Wende  279 
Town  Line  282 

J/ackawaxen  112  Nunda  24 

Lancaster  287 
Forks  289 
Buffalo  298 

Narrowsburg  123 
Cochecton  132 

Callicoon                         137 

Cantile  34 

Gainesville  37 
Warsaw         .                      44 

Hankin's                          144 

Middlebury                         49 

Rochester  to  Suspension 
Bridge. 
Rochester  to 
Gates  5 
Spencerport  10 

Lordville  154 
Stockport  160 

Linden  63 
Attica  60 

Hancock  165 
Kale's  Eddy  173 
Deposit  178 

Darieu   City  64 
Uaricn  Center  66 
Alden  71 

Adam's  Basin  12 

Susquehanna                    193 

Town  Line        76 

Brockport  .  17 

Great  Bend                        201 

Lancaster                          81 

Holley  22 

Kirkwood...                    207 

Buffalo  91 

Murray  25 

Binghamton                     216 

Philadelphia  to  Williamt- 
port. 
Philadelphia  to 
Port  Clinton  78 

Albion  .   30 

Union                              224 

Medina  40 

Campville                        231 

Middleport  45 

Owego  238 

Gasport  61 

Tioga  .         243 

Lockport  56 

Smith  bo  ro'  247 

Ringgold  88 

Pekin       .     .                     66 

Suspension  Bridge  74 

Waverly  257 

Summit  .              .  .      110 

Connects  with   Great 
Western  Railway. 

Chemung  261 

Mahanoy  118 

Wellsburg  267 

Ringtown  123 

Elmira             .               274 

Beaver  130 

Buffalo  to  Suspension 
Bridge. 
Buffalo  to 
Black  Rock  .                      4 

Junction   Elmira,  Can- 
andaigua,  and  Niagara 
Falls  Railroad  278 

Maineville  133 

Catawissa  .       .  14/8 

Rupert  147 

BigFlats     284 

Danville  154 

Tonawanda  11 

Corning  292 

Mooresburg  160 

LaSalle        17 

Painted  Post   ..              293 

Milton  170 

Niagara  Falls  22 

Addison  303 

Rathbonevill*.                308 

Muncy  187 

Williamsport  197 

Suspension  Bridge  24 

New  York  to  Dunkirk,  vi& 
fiew  York  and  Erie  R.  R. 
New  York  to 

Crosbyville  324 
Canisteo  329 

Williamtport  to  Elmira. 
Williamsport  to 
McKiunev'g  .    5 

Hornelsville  333 

[See  table  from  Hor- 
nelsville to  Buffalo.] 
Almond  338 

Mahaffp  v's  7 

Bergen  .                             3 

Cogan  Valley  8 

Hackensack  Bridge  7 
Boiling  Spring                     9 

Crescent  11 

Alfred  342 

Trout  Run  15 

Andover    .     350 

Field's  16 

Huyler's       .                    13 

Genesee  359 

Dubois  19 

Paterson                            17 

Scio  363 

Bodine's  20 

Godwinville  22 

Phillipsville  367 

Belvidere  .        .             370 

Lycoming  22 
Ralston  25 

Hohokus                           24 

Allendale                           26 

Friendship            375 

Canton  39 

Ramsey's                           28 

Cuba                                384 

Alba  44 

SulTern's                              33 

Hinsdale  .  390 

West  Granville  49 

Olean                               396 

Troy  52 

Sloatsburg  36 

Southflelds                         43 

Allegany  399 

Great  Valley  412 

Dunning's  65 

Little  Valley                  222 

State  Line  68 

Turner's  48 

Cattaraugus  429 
Dayton    439 

Elmira  78 

Oxford                                 53 

Perrvsburg  442 

Elmira  to  Suspension 
Bridge. 
Elmira  to 
Junction  4 

Junction..     .        56 

Smith's  Mills  449 

Chester            .                 66 

Forestville  45-' 

Goshen  60 

Dunkirk  461 

Middletown                       68 

Hornelsville  to  Buffalo. 
Hornelsville  to 
Burns                                    d 

Millport          13 

Howell'i                            72 

Havana              19 

OUsville           ...          76 

Jefferson.-.                    -.22 

Port  Jervis  89 

Whitney  Valley  13  Rock  Stream  28 

SwaiavUle  ...              ..  17!  BU  Stream...              ..30 

Shohola  ..                 -.-108 

TABLE   OF   DISTANCES. 


349 


Starkey  ,  33 

Detroit  230 

Buffalo  to    Chicago,    viA 
Lake  Shore  Railroad. 
Buffalo  to 
Hamburg  ......  1C 
Evans*  Center  21 
Irving                                 29 

Clayton  44 

Hudson           50 

Milo  Center                       41 

1'itsford        66 

Penn  Yan                           45 

Hillsdale    66 

Benton         ..          49 

Jonesville......  ....  70 

Bellona  6: 

Hall's  Corners  6, 

Quincy  .  ..  82 
Coldwater  88 
Bronson  .  99 

Hopewell  K 

Dunkirk  40 

Portland                           50 

Burr  Oak  106 
Sturgis  112 

East  Bloomfield             .  77 

Westfield    57 

White  Pigeon  124 

West  Bloomfield    .  ...  85 

Middlebury  129 

State  Line                       .  68 

Bristol  134 

Genesee  Valley  Railroad 
Junction  .  9« 
Caledonia  ...  102 

North  East                         73 

Elkhart  144 

Harbor  Creek  80 
Erie  88 

Swanville                  .        95 

Mishawaka  154 

South  Bend  168 
Terre  Coupee  169 

Staflord         ..                  113 

Girard                               103 

Rolling  Prairie  178 

Batavia  119 
East  Pembroke  125 

Kichville                           132 

Springfield  108 
Conneaut  ..  115 

Kingnville                         123 

Laporte  185 
Hotmessille  193 
Calumet  202 

Akron    135 

Ashtabnla  129 
Saybrook  133 
Geneva  138 
Madison  143 
Perry  148 
Painesville  162 
Mentor         -.          158 

Bailvtown  207 
Miller's  214 

Pine  Station       221 

Clarence  Center  142 
Transit  146 
Vincent  152 
fonawanda  155 
Cayuga  Creek  161 
Niagara  Falls        .  .   ..166 

Ainsworth  231 
Junction  236 
Chicago...  243 

Buffalo    to    Chicago,    ri<t 
Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road. 
Steamers  leave  Buffalo  for 
Detroit  every  evening  ez- 
oept  Sundays. 
Detroit  to 
Halfway  Side  Track  
Dearborn       .            .10 

Suspension  Bridge.  168 

Suspeniion  Bridge  to  De- 
troit, vid  Great  Western 
Railway. 
Suspension  Bridge  to 
Thorold      .    9 

Willoughby              162 

Wickliffe    167 

Euclid  171 

Cleveland         181 

Rockport           .  187 

Berea  193 

Olmsted  Falls  195 

St.  Catherines  11 

Ridge  ville  200 

Elyria                               206 

BeaniBville  22 

Amherst  212 

Wayne  18 

Grimsby  27 
Ontario  32 
Hamilton  43 

Brownhelm  215 
VermUlion  119 
Berlin  227 

Ypsilanti  30 
Ann  Arbor  37 
Dexter  47 

Dun  das  48 

Huron   231 

Chelsea  54 

Flamboro'  62 

Sandusky         ..241 

Grass  Lake  .    65 

Copetown  55 

Vansickles    ..  ..  69 

Venice  244 

Mixer's  Point                  248 

Jackson                       ..75 

Parma   .             86 

Fair-child's  Creek  62 

Port  Clinton  254 

Albion  95 

Paris  72 

Hartford  265 

Marengo  .  101 

Princeton.....  .....  79 

Benton  271 

Marshall  107 

Eastwood  86 
Woodstock      91 

31ay  Junction  280 

Toledo   .       ..              ..288 

3eresco  ...  .......112 
Battle  Creek  120 

Beacbville  96 

Chicago  631 

Galesbnrg  134 

Edwardsburg  110 
London  119 
Komoka  129 

Buffalo    to    Chicago,    via 
Michigan  Southern  Rail- 
road. 
Steamers  leave  Buffalo  for 
Toledo  every  evening,  ex- 
cept Sundays. 
Toledo  to 

Oshtemo  148 
3aw  Paw  159 

Decatnr  ....  167 

Mount  Brydges.              134 

Ekfrid  139 

Niles         191 

Mosa      149 

\Vardsville       155 

Terre  Coupee           ..     202 

Tharaosville                      168 

New  Buffalo              218 

Chatham  183 
Baptiste  Creek  196 

Sylvsnia  11 

Knight's     .     .                  21 

Michigan  City  228 
Porter         240 

Rochester  210 

Blissfield                         .  23 

Lake  Station         248 

Puce  216 

Windsor         .    229 

Palmyra  27 
Adrian  33 

Gibson's  260 
Calumet  269 

w 

350 


THE   GREAT  WEST. 


Chicago          *        ..      282 

Irwin's  .........              331 

Fort  Wayne                     318 

Philadelphia  to  Pittsburf. 
Philadelphia  to 
Downing  .  ..  ..  32 

Stewart's  336 

Fort    Wayne   to   Chicago. 
Fort  Wayne  to 
Taw-Taw           .                    8 

Brinton's  341 

Wilkinsburg  .      ...  346 

East  Liberty  348 

Lancaster.     _  .     .     68 

Outer  Station  352 

Coesse                               14 

Dillerville    70 

Pittsburg  353 

Landisville  Station  77 
Mount  Joy                  ...     81 

Pittsburg  to  Fort  Wayne. 
Pittsburg  to 
Courtney'*  6 

Pierceton  .                         30 

Elizabeth  town    87 

Conewaeo  ...  90 

Warsaw.  ...       .     40 

Branch  Intersection  95 

Haysville  10 

Etna  Green                       50 

Middletown  96 

Sewickley  12 

Bourbon                            53 

Highspire  100 
Harrisburg   106 

Shousetown  14 

Economy  ....  ..  17 

Plymouth  65 

Cross  New  Albany  and 
Salem  Railroad              95 

Rockville  Station  Ill 

Remington..  21 

Cove  116 

Freedom                           23 

Valparaiso                       104 

Duncannon  120 

Rochester  .  25 

Hobart                               117 

Aqueduct  Station.  ^...123 
Baily's  128 

New  Brighton  28 
Darlington  38 

Cross     Joliet      Cut-Off 
Railroad                       120 

Newport  133 

Enon         44 

Illinois  Line                     134 

Millers  town  138 

Thorapsontown               143 

Palestine  49 

Bull  Creek        54 

Chicago  147 

Cleveland   to    Cincinnati. 
Cleveland  to 
Rockport  7 

Tuscarora   148 

Columbiana  ..  59 

Mifflin  154 

Franklin  65 

Narrows  Station  161 
Lewistown  ..  .               166 

Salem  69 

Damascus..     74 

Berea.                               12 

Anderson's  Station  173 

Smithfield  77 

Olmstead  15 

McVcyton  178 

Alliance  82 

Columbia  .       ..                18 

Manayunk  Station  183 
North  Hamilton             188 

Strasburg  .  .  88 

Grafton  25 

Louisville  ....  94 

La  Grange                         29 

Mount  Union  191 

Canton  100 

Wellington  36 

Mill  Creek                        197 

Massillon  108 

Rochester        .                 41 

Huntingdon  202 

Lawrence  115 

New  London  .  47 

Petersburg  208 

Spruce  Creek  214 

Fairvtew  119 
OrrrlUe  123 

Greenwich  .        54 

Salem  60 

Tyrone                    .  221 

Paradise  126 

Shelby  67 

Fostoria                          227 

Wooster...  134 

Crestline.                          75 

Altoona        236 

Millbrook...T  140 

Gallon  79 

Kittanu  ing  Point      ...242 

Clinton  143 

Iberia  .            85 

East  End  of  Tunnel       247 

Lakeville  149 

Gilead  92 

Gallitzin  249 

Loudonville  155 

Cardington..  07 

Cresson  252 

Perrysville  160 

Ashley  104 

Lilly's                       .        255 

Lucas      167 

Eden  108 

Portage            260 

MansBeld  174 

Delaware....                   112 

Willmore  262 
Summerhill  264 
South  Fork  268 
Mineral  Point    270 

Spring  Mills  179 
Richland  183 
Crestline  187 
Leesville  190 

Berlin  115 

Orange  119 

Worthinton  126 

Columbus  135 

Bucyrus  199 

Cincinnati  .              255 

Johnstown                       275 

Nevada     207 

Cincinnati  to    f-'incennet. 
Cincinnati  to 
Sylvania  3 

Dornock  Point  278 

Upper  Sandusky  216 
Kirby  222 

Slackwater  Station         281 

Nineveh                     .  .  285 

Forest  228 

New  Florence                 289 

Dunkirk  234 

Anderson's  Ferry                6 

Lockport                           293 

Mount  Washington.  ..238 

Delhi  .             ..                 10 

Bolivar                              295 

Johnstown  24b 

North  Bend  15 

Blairaville  Branch  300 
Hillside                 304 

Lafayette  252 

Pike                                   17 

Lima  259 

Gravel  Pit  18 

Derry                             .307 

Elida  266 

Corn-Crib  Switch.           21 

Latrobe  ...312 
Bentv'a                              315 

Delphos  273 

Middle  Point  279 

Junction  .  22 
Lawrenccburg                    22 

Van  Wert  286 

Turnout  .     23 

Radebauch's  ..,         ...324 

Dixon  299 

Aurora  ... 

TABLE   OF   DISTANCES. 


351 


Cochran  27 

Dallas  188 

Litchfield...              ...134 
Clyde        139 

Moore's  Hill                     40 

Gillespie  "                .  ...144 

Milan                                  42 

Bunker  Hill                     153 

Delaware  4' 

Smithfield  221 

Muncie                              227 

Bethalto  163 

Alton                                163 

Osgood    ....  62 

Yorktown  233 

Junction  167 

Chesterfield                    239 

Holton         68 

Anderson  245 

St.  Louis  .       . 

Otter  Creek         61 

Pendleton                         253 

Chicago  to  St.  Louis. 
Chicago  to 
Joliet  40 

Turnout      63 

Alfont                            ..2fi8 

Butlerville                          66 

Fortville                           2(il 

McCord's          .                264 

Hardenberg                        80 

Oakland          .     .         .  266 

Elwood  49 

Seymour  .  88 

Laneville  271 

Wilmington  66 

Delzell's                            275 

Stewart's  Grove               63 

f'inccnncs  to  St.  Louis. 
Take  steamers  for  all  ports 
on  the    Mississippi  anc 
Missouri  Rivers. 
Vincennes  to 

Gardner    .     ..     .  68 

Indianapolis  to  Terra 
Haute. 
Indianapolis  to 
Bridgeport  S 
Plainfield  14 

Dwight     .     .        77 

Odell:  85 

Livingston       90 

Pontlac                         .     95 

Rook  Creek  ...100 
Peoria  Junction  106 

Sumncr  19 

Claremont  25 

Cartersburg  17 

Lexington  ..113 

Olney  31 

Belleville    19 

Towanda  121 

Noble  39 

Clayton  21 

Illinois    Central    Rail- 
road Junction  127 

Maysville  46 

PecKsburg  ..  23 

Flora    ..  ..   ..                63 

Amo            -.  25 

Bloomington                   129 

Xenia  62 

Cincinnatus  27 

Funk's  Grove                 .140 

Middleton  70 

Coatsville        29 

Atlanta        149 

Salom  79 
Junction  85 
Sandoval  88 
Collins'  96 

Nicholsonville  3i 
Greencastle  ..  3£ 
Putnamville  ....  45 

Lawn  Dale  151 
Lincoln  160 

Elkhart            170 

Williamsville    ...        176 

Carlyle  102 

Shoal  Creek     .                110 

Reel's  Mill  48 

Eaglefield's  Mill               61 

Sangamon  183 

Springfield                       188 

Ariston  114 

Great  Western  Railroad 
Junction...              .       190 

Trenton  118 

Brazil    .  67 

SummerHeld  122 

Staunton         61 

Chatham  ..      197 

Lebanon  125 

Cloverland                 .      63 

Auburn  203 

O'Fallon  133 

Wood's  Mill        65 

Virden  210 

Caseyville  139 

Girard          214 

IlinoUtown  ...147 

Terre  Haute  to  Alton,  on 

Prairie  Station      .        218 

St.  Louis  .. 

Carlin  ville         ...        226 

Cleveland  to  Indianapolis. 
Cleveland  to 
Crestline  75 

the   Mississippi,    at    the 
junction  of  the  Missouri. 
Terre  Haute  to 

Macoupin     233 

Brighton                          248 

Monticello           .            255 

Gallon  79 

Caledonia  90 

Sanford's        ..             ..8 

Alton  280 

Paris                                   19 

St.  Louis                        285 

Marion  99 

Chicago  to  Burlington. 
Chicago  to 
Park  Station  ..   .. 

Bryant's  104 
Larue  113 

Midway  32 

Mount  Victory  121 

Kidjfway  124 

Oak  Ridge                           8 

KushsvlvanLi  130 

Harpf-r  133 

Dauby                               23 

Belk'fimtaine...  139 
DoGralT  149 
Pemberton  155 
Sidney  162 

Thornton  78 
Shelby  ville  80 
Towerhill  88 

Wheaton's  .              .  .     16 

Winlield  28 
function  30 

Batavia                              36 

HariH'n  167 
Lor.  and  Houston  172; 
Versailles  180; 

Nocoinis  107 
Irving  117 
Hillsborough  123 

\urora  43 
West  Aurora  44 

ilontgomery  .  ......  46 

352 


THE   GREAT  WEST. 


Oswego  47 
Bristol  61 

Huntley  55 

Union                                  62 

Rubicon  39 

Woodland  43 

Piano  67 
Newark  61 

Marengo  66 

Iron  Ridge  45 
Horicon  .  51 

Somonauk  ..  .  64 

Belvidere                          78 

Junction  .  64 

Waverly  71 
Earl         77 

Caledonia  86 

Oak  Grove  66 

Beaver  Dam  .  61 

Mendota  88 

Beloit                                  98 

Arlington  97 

Afton                               106 

Milwaukie  to  Madison. 
Milwaukie  to 
Wau  wautosa  5 
Side  Track  12 

Dover          104 

Plymouth                         111 

Princeton  109 
Wyanet  116 

Footville  114 

Magnolia                         118 

Buda       122 

Madison               '        .     166 

Junction         ...  14 

Neponset  128 

Chicago  to  Milwaukie. 
Chicago  to 
Chittenden  7 

Evanston   .     ...  12 

Forest  House  ....  17 

Kewanee    .  136 

Galvy            144 

Genesee                              28 

Altona  152 
Wataga  160 

Eagle  38 

Palmyra.........  42 

Galesburg  168 
Cameron  177 

Monmouth    .....  ...184 

Wynetka  16 
Glencoe  19 

Highland  Park                23 

Whitewater  .       60 

Child's  Station  55 

Milton  ...                        62 

Linden           -.     191 

Rockland                            30 

Edgerton                       .  72 

Oquawka  Junction  202 
East  Burlington  210 

Stoughton                  .       82 

State  Line  45 

Madison  98 

Chicago  to  Madison. 
Chicago  to 
Park  Station  
Oak  Ridge                     .    8 

Kenosha  51 
Racine  62 

Chicago  to  Fond  du  Lac. 
Chicago  to 
Jefferson  9 
Canfield  12 

County  Line  70 

Oak  Creek  75 

Cottage  Hill                ..  16 

Milwaukie  to  Beaver  Dam. 
Milwaukie  to 

Sch  wartzbnrg  ....     7 
Granville     •                      13 

Des  Plaines   16 

Babcock's  Grove  20 
Danby                  22 

Duntou  23 
Palatine  27 

Wheaton  25 

Winfield                            27 

Barrington  32 
Cary        38 

Aurora  Junction  30 
Wayne  35 
Clinton  39 
Elgin  42 

Gilbert...                   ..  60 

Crystal  Lake  43 

Richfield  23 

Cedar  Creek  28 
Schleisinger  30 
Hartford...                ..  34 

Ridgefield  45 
Woodstock  51 
Janesville  90 
Fond  du  Lac  176 

FREMONT'S 

EXPLORIIG  EXPEDITION, 

TO    THE 

g0t!i2  P0mrtams,  ©agon,  nit  California; 

WITH  A    DESCRIPTION  OF   THE 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 


AND 


RECENT  NOTICES  OF  THE  GOLD  REGION. 

BY  COL.  J.  C.  FREMONT. 
In  One  Volume,  456  pp.  12mo.,  Fortait.    Price  $1  25. 


No  work  has  appeared  from  the  American  press,  within  the  past  fe'vr 
years,  better  calculated  to  interest  the  community  at  large,  than  Colo- 
nel J.  C.  Fremont's  Narrative  of  his  Exploring  Expedition  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  Oregon,  and  North  California,  undertaken  by  the  orders  of 
the  United  States  Government 

CoL  Fremont  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  adventurous  of 
American  travelers.  His  accounts  are  always  interesting  and  minute. 
The  country  he  explored  is  daily  making  deeper  and  more  abiding  im- 
pressions upon  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  information  is  eagerly 
sought  in  regard  to  its  natural  resources,  its  climate  inhabitants,  pro- 
ductions, and  adaptation  for  supplying  the  wants  and  providing  the 
comforts  for  a  dense  population.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when  that 
territory,  hitherto. so  little  known,  will  be  intersected  by  railroads,  its 
waters  navigated,  and  its  fertile  portions  peopled  by  an  active  and  in- 
telligent population. 

He  who  would  know  more  of  this  rich  and  rare  land  before  commen- 
cing his  pilgrimage  to  its  golden  bosom,  will  find,  in  the  last  part  of 
this  new  edition  of  a  most  deservedly  popular  work,  a  succinct  yet  com- 
prehensive account  of  its  inexhaustible  riches  and  its  transcendent 
loveliness,  and  a  fund  of  information  much  needed  in  regard  to  tna 
»«veral  routes  which  lead  to  its  inviting  borders. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publisher,, 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Geuesee-st.,  AUBURN. 


FRONTIER  LIFE; 


OR 


SCENES  AND  ADVENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH-WEST. 

By  F.  Hardman,  Illustrated  Muslin,  376  pp.,  12mo.  Price,  $1  25. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publisher,, 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Genesee-st.,  AUBURN, 


History  of  Indian  Wars  and  Captivities. 

FROST  AND  DRAKE'S 

INDIAN  WARS  AND  CAPTIVITIES 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES: 

EMBRACING   THE 

Early  Indian  Wars  of  the  Colonies  and  the  Revolution, 

KING  PHILIP'S  WAR,  THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WARS,  THE  NORTH 
WESTERN  WAR,  BLACK  HAWK  WAR,  SEMINOLE  WAR,  &C. 

TOGETHER    WITH 

INDIAN    CAPTIVITIES; 

BEING  TRUE  NARRATIVES  OF  CAPTIVES  WHO  HAVE    BEEN  CARRIED   AWAT   BY  TH» 

INDIANS    FROM    THE   FRONTIER   SETTLEMENTS  OF   THE    UNITED    STATES, 

FROM  THE  EARLIEST  PERIOD  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

BY  JOHH  FROST  AND  SAMUEL  G.  DRAKE. 

One  Volume,  670  pp.  8vo.,  200  Engravings.   Price  $2  50, 


Contents  of*  "  Indian  War*." 

Early  Indian  Wars  in  Florida — The  Indian  Wars  of  the  Colonies  of 
Virginia — Early  Indian  Wars  of  New  England — King  Philip's  War- 
King  William's  War — The  Wars  of  the  Five  Nations — Indian  Wars  in 
Carolina,  previous  to  the  Revolution — Queen  Anne's  War — Lovewell's 
War — The  French  and  Indian  War,  from  1754  to  1759 — The  War  be- 
tween the  Colonists  and  the  Western  Indians,  from  1763  to  1765 — Cre- 
sap's  War — Indian  Wars  of  the  Revolution — The  War  with  the  Indiana 
of  the  West,  during  Washington's  Administration— The  Tippecanoe 
War— The  North-western  War  of  1812  and  1813 — The  Creek  War — 
The  Seminole  War  of  1S16  and  1817 — Black  Hawk's  War — The  Second 
Semiuole  War — Indian  Hostilities  in  California  and  New  Mexico — The 
Tribes  West  of  the  Mississippi. 

Contents  of  "  Indian  Captivities." 

Captivity  of  Jno.  Ortiz — Mary  Rowlandson,  Quintin  Stockwell — Sarah 
Gerish— Eliziibeth  Hoard — Jno.  Gyles — Rob't  Rogers— Mehetablo  Goodwin — Tho's  Too- 
good — Elizabeth  Ilnnson— Neheiniah  How — Mary  Fowler — John  Fitch — Isabella  McCoy 
— Peter  Williamson — Jemima  llo\w — Frances  Nuble — Ca|>t.  Carver — Col.  Ja's  Smith — 
Eob't  Kastburn — Mrs.  Clendenin — Alex.  Henry — Fred.  Manlicim — Experience  Bozarth — 
Jno.  Cort.ly— Frances  Scott— Capt.  Wm.  llubbell — Massy  llerbeson— Serg.  I  Munson-» 
Bansoin  Clark— J.  W.  15.  Thompson. 

MILIEU,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers. 


THE  MODEBN  OPHIR! 


SIDNEY'S  HISTORY  OF  AUSTRALIA., 

«X"s_i— x^>*y*x^> 

THE 


OF  AUSTRALIA. 


NEW  SOUTH  WALES,  VICTORIA  &  SOUTH  AUSTRALIA  * 

THEIR 

Pastures,  Copper  Mines  &  Gold  Fields. 


BY    SAMUEL    SIDNEY. 


Ten  Illustrations.     Muslin,  408  pp  12mo,    Price  $1,00. 


It  Is  well  written,  well  printed,  and  worth  the  attention  of  all  Americans  who  would 
turn  their  faces  towards  Australia.— N.  Y.  Times. 

We  have  been  greatly  Interested  In  the  wotk — so  much  so,  Indeed,  that  we  could 
not  satisfy  ourselves  without  going  through  with  it  entire. — Jf.  Y.  Bap.  Reg. 

The  position  of  the  author,  and  the  unquestionable  sources  from  which  he  draws  hit 
Information,  affords  the  highest  evidence  that  his  details,  historical,  statistical  and  ge- 
ographical, are  accurate  and  reliable. — N.  Y.  Jour,  of  Knowledge. 

The  work  above  named  is  not  only  very  lively  and  interesting,  hnt  having  been  pre- 
pared by  a  gentleman  who  had  access  to  the  most  reliable  data,  it  furnishes  just  the  infor- 
mation which  everybody  is  in  quest  of,  and  which  must  be  invaluable  to  persons  intend- 
ing tn  emigrate. — N.  Y.  Org. 

This  work  affords  an  excellent  opportunity  for  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
Australia  and  its  mines,  for  the  writer  is  evidently  a  man  of  intelligence,  and  speaks  from 
actual,  personal  observation. — American  Courier. 

To  the  immigrant,  the  work  will,  it  is  believed,  furnish  a  safe  and  full  guide. — Dottar 
Newspaper. 

Though  there  have  been  more  glowing  pictures  of  Antipodal  life,  we  have  yet  seen 
none  that  groups  so  many  facts,  and  imparts  so  clear  a  view. — N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

The  information  embodied  in  this  work  is  just  what  is  sought  for  by  every  one. — Radn* 
Daily  Advocate. 

Mr.  Sidney  has  in  this  work  given  to  the  world  a  volume  of  varied  and  useful  infor- 
mation concerning  the  Australian  El  Dorado. — Detroit  Advertiser, 

Those  who  wish  to  fee  informed  in  relation  to  Australia  will  find  this  volume  complete 
In  its  Information  and  exceedingly  interesting  in  all  its  details. — Lowell  Christian  Era. 

This  is  a  handsome  12mo  of  408  pages,  neatly  illustrated  with  engravings,  abounding 
with  every  variety  of  interesting  information  respecting  Australia. — Lutheran  Obterw. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publisher*, 

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A  Book  that  is  really  all  Life— Every  Family  should  have  it. 


LIVING   NATURE   IN   ALL   ITS   FORMS. 


ILLUSTRATED  ENCYCLOPEDIA 

OF 

ANIMATED  NATURE: 

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OF  ALL  THE  CLASSES  OF 

LIVING  BEINGS  ON  THE  EAKTH,   IN  THE  OCEAN,  AND  THE  AIB. 
BY   JOHN    FROST,   LL.  D. 

SKK  through  this  Atr,  this  Ocean,  and  this  Earth, 
All  matter  quick,  and  bursting  into  birth, 
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Books  upon  almost  every  other  subject  have  been  circulated 
among  the  people,  except  those  relating  to  the  very  interesting  and 
important  one  of  NATURAL  HISTORY.  The  books  which  have  heretofore 
been  published,  on  this  subject,  have  been  adapted,  either  to  mere  chil- 
dren, or  to  those  who  make  it  a  thorough  study.  Hence,  very  few  of 
the  millions  of  readers  in  this  country,  have  within  their  reach,  anything 
satisfactory  upon  this  subject.  This  indicates  a  great  and  an  obvioua 
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public. 

MILLER,  ORTOX  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers. 


Natural,  Truthful,  and  Enticing 


THE 

HOMESTEAD  01  THE  HILLSIDE, 


BY   MRS.    MARY   J.   HOLMES, 

The  Popular  Author  of  "Tempest  and  Sunshine"  and  "The  English  Orphans." 
In  One  Volume,  38O  Pages,  12mo.    Price  $1  OO. 

The  numerous  and  delighted  readers  of  "TEMPEST  AND  SUNSHINE"  and  "TftK  Ey- 
OLISH  ORPHANS  "  —  Mrs.  Holmes'  former  works  —  will  be  pleased  to-learn  that  another 
work  of  their  favorite  author  is  again  within  their  reach.  That  this  work  will  be  ea- 
gerly sought  and  widely  read,  her  former  brilliant  success  affords  the  surest  guaranty. 

Mrs.  Holmes  is  a  peculiarly  pleasant  and  fascinating  writer.  Her  subjects  are  the  home 
and  family  relations.  She  has  the  happy  faculty  of  enlisting  the  sympathies  and  affec- 
tions of  her  readers  and  of  holding  their  attention  to  her  pages,  with  deep  and  absorbing 
interest.  The  Homestesid  on  tue  Hillside  is,  therefore,  attracting  the 
liveliest  attention  ;  and  readers  and 

REVIEWERS  ARE    DECIDED  IN  ITS  PRAISE. 

Any  one  taking  up  the  book  must  take  a  "through  ticket,"  as  tnere  is  no  stopping 
place  "this  side"  of  the  last  page.  The  arts  of  the  designing  woman  are  given  in  their 
true  color,  showing  to  what  oily-tongued  hypocrisy  humanity  will  stoop  for  the  further- 
ance of  its  purposes  ;  what  a  vast  amount  of  unhapiiiness  one  individual  may  bring  up- 
on an  otherwise  happy  family;  what  untold  misery  may  result  from  the  groveling  spirit 
of  fancied  revenge,  when  cherished  in  the  bosom  of  its  unhappy  possessor.  —  Brockport 
Gazette. 

The  talented  author  of  '•  Tempest  and  Sunshine"  bas  again  hit  on  a  happy  subject 
"The  Homestead  on  the  Hillside"  has  afforded  her  ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  those 
high  descriptive  powers  and  those  striking  portraitures  of  character  which  have  ren- 
dered her  former  works  such  general  favorites.  In  one  word,  the  book  before  us  is  no 
ordinary  production.—  Philadelphia  Daily  Newt. 

Vigor,  variety,  a  boldness  and  freedom  of  style  and  expression,  eccentricity  alike  of 
character  and  incident,  are  among  its  most  striking  peculiarities.  She  has  improved,  in 
the  book  before  us,  upon  her  first  effort,  and  several  of  these  tales  will  not  fail  to  add  to 
her  already  well  established  reputation  as  a  vigorous  and  attractive  writer.  —  Bost.  Atlas. 

The  artfulness  and  resignation  exhibited  by  the  Widow  Carter,  in  her  modest  but  not 
unnatural  endeavors  to  gain  the  tender  regard  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  ns  she  smoothed  the  pil- 
low of  his  dying  wife,  de'serve  the  especial"  attention  of  gentlemen  liable  to  a  like  attempt 
from  a  similar  cause.  They  will  doubtless  see  a  dozen  widows  in  the  very  dress  and  po- 
sition of  the  philanthropic  Mrs.  Carter.  There  fc  quite  a  moral  for  young  Misses,  too,  in 
the  book."  —  N.  Y.  Dutchman. 

It  cannot  fail  to  plejise  the  lovers  of  flowing  and  graceful  narrative.  —  Tribune. 

It  will  be  superfluous  to  say  that  Mrs.  Holmes  is  a  charming  writer.  —  True  Flag. 

It*  genial  spirit,  its  ready  wit,  its  kindly  feeling,  will  doubtless  meet  with  due  appreci- 
ation from  all  its  readers,  "it  touches  with  ready  sympathy  the  fountains  of  mirth  and 
tears,  and  one  can  neither  restrain  the  one  nor  withhold  the  other,  in  reading  its  tales  of 
joy  and  sorrow.—  Broome  Repub. 

We  have  perused  this  book  with  none  but  feelings  of  pleasure;  and  we  have  closed  its 
pages,  bearing  in  our  heart  its  sweet  spirit  and  eloquent  moral.  We  heartily  commend 
it,  —  Loctpon  Courier. 

Her  portrayal  of  human  character  and  actions  are  admirable;  her  style  is  fluent  and 
fascinating,  and  a  most  intense  degree  of  interest  is  kept  up  throughout  the  volume. 
But  among  all  its  excellent  qualities,  most  prominent  appears  its  eloquent  morals.  Kead 
it,  so  that  you  can  have  it  to  say,  "  I  ONCB  BEAD  A  GOOD  BOOK."  —  Lockport  Democrat. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers, 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YO&K  and  107  Geuesee-st..  Auburn 


The  Latest  and  Best— A  New  Book  for  Housewives. 

IfD 


DOMESTIC"  ECONOMY. 

BY   MISS  E.  M.  HALL. 
One  Volume,  436pp.  12mo.    Price,  *1  OO. 

Tliis  work  has  been  prepared  with  much  care  and  well  directed  attention.  It  conta.  .« 
.he  results  of  experience,  and  will  be  found  on  inspection  to  be  all  that  is  essential,  eitl.er 
or  the  most  simply  or  elaborately  furnished  table.  The  Recipes  are  carefully  prepared 
and  conveniently  cfassififd  and  arranged. 

The  Cookery  contains  973  Recipes,  relating  to  every  department  of  the  subject,  and 
s  illustrated  with  44  appropriate  Engravings. 

The  Itomtttic  Hronomi/  contains  3G3  Recipes  and  recent  important  information 
relating  to  the  Garden,  the  Orchard,  the  Wardrobe,  the  Laundry,  and  to  all  those  house- 
old  and  domestic  affairs  upon  which  instruction  is  sought  by  the  thoughtful  and  care- 
iking  mistress.  This  department  of  the  book,  so  seldom  to  be  found  in  works  »>f  the 
ilnd— wedeem  a  convenient  and  important  feature.  A  Cook-book  has  become  a  house- 
iold  hand-hook,  nnd  as  such  is  frequently  consulted.  By  embracing  in  the  same  volume 
he  most  important  information  relating  to  the  general  subject  and  to  the  details  of  house- 
iold  management,  the  publishers  feel  that  they  have  supplied  a  want  which  will  be  ap- 
>rociated  by  American  housewives. 

OPINIONS  OF   REVIEWERS. 

This  is  the  latest,  as  it  is  also  one  of  the  best  and  most  complete  books  of  practical  do- 
mestic cookery  tnat  has  ever  been  published  in  this  country.  It  contains  over  1,300  re- 
:ipes,  relating  to  every  department,  and  illustrated  with  about  fifty  instructive  engra- 
•injis.  The  work  has  been  prepared  with  great  industry,  care,  and  judgment:  the  re* 
ipes  are  for  the  most  part  simple,  easy,  and  of  great  variety.  To  housekeepers  this  work 
vill  be  an  invaluable  vade  mectim,  including  as  it  does  important  instructions  for  the 
management  of  the  garden,  the  orchard,  the  wardrobe,  the  laundry,  and  every  variety  of 
domestic  affairs. — Boston  At'its. 

This  work  will  prove  an  invaluable  aid  to  young  housekeepers,  and  in  fact  old  ones 
nay  glean  some  excellent  hints  from  it.  Instructions  for  the  behavior  of  guest,  host, 
md  servant — rules  for  carving  and  serving,  besides  recipes  for  cooking  all  kinds  of 
lishes.  In  this  fast  age,  when  young  ladies  are  educated  for  the  drawing-room  instead 
f  the  kitchen,  when  housekeeping  has  become  a  vulgar  employment,  and  economy  and 
care  are  obsolete  words,  such  a  book  is  greatly  needed. — Geneva  Courier. 

Here  is  another  book  for  housewives,  and  we  should  think  it  a  very  good  one.    Tho 
recipes  have  been  selected  and  arranged  with  much  care,  and  what  is  better  still,  are  tho 
results  of  experience. — Olive  Branch. 
True  economy  should  induce  every  good  housewife  to  purchase  this  work. — Boston 

This  is  a  valuable  and  truly  useful  work,  comprising  everything  needful  to  be  known 
n  the  domestic  economy,  essential  to  the  comfort,  convenience,  and  enjoyment  of  a  fam- 
!y.  No  female  should  be  without  a  copy. —Oswtgo  Palladium. 

It  is  an  American  book,  and  this  fact  alone  is  enough  to  commend  it  to  the  good  sense 
f  every  American  woman,  in  preference  to  the  garlic-scented  French  style  of  cookery. 
Everything  in  the  shape  of  cooking,  from  a  roast  turkey  down  to  the  most  delicate  pre- 
erve,  may  be  learned  from  Miss  Hall's  book. — Chrin.  Secretary. 

In  fullness  of  material,  in  happy  and  simple  arrangement,  and  in  profuseness  of  illus- 
ration.  we  have  as  yet  seen  no  book  for  housewives  which  claims  to  be  equal  to  Miss 
lull's  bonk  in  interest  and  value. — American  Spectator. 

We  scorn  all  bribes,  but  admit  we  should  like  to  dine  with  Miss  Hall,  or  any  one  of 
her  proficient  pupils.  Her  book  has  effected  us  even  to  tears;  had  we  been  hungry  as 
erst  we  have  been,  it  would  have  been  overpowering.  In  all  candor,  we  believe  this  to 
>e  a  very  good  book.  It  contains  directions  for  carving,  preparation  of  beverages,  medi- 
cinal and  other,  and  a  great  variety  of  very  useful  information. — N.  Y.  Criterion. 

MILLER,  ORION  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers, 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Geneaee-st.,  AUBURN. 


THE  FARM  AND  THE  DAIRY 


THE  AMERICAN  FARMEJi, 
<Dr.  lornc  in  Ik  (iDnmtii, 

»     fcD./  0  *o  ' 

A  BOOK  FOR  RAINY  DAYS  AND  WINTER  EVENINGS. 

BY  J.  L.  BLAKE,  D.  D. 
One  Volume,  460  pp.  12mo.,  23  Illustrations.  Price  $1  25. 

'•Oh  I  friendly  to  the  best  pursuits  of  man, 
Friendly  to  thought,  to  virtue,  and  to  peace, 
Domestic  life  in  rural  pleasures  passed." — Cowper. 


THE  TOYMAN'S  MANUAL, 

A   COMPLETE 

GUIDE  FOR  THE  AMERICAN  DAIRYMAN. 

BY    GURDON   EVANS. 
One  Volume,  235  pp.  8vo.,  Illustrated.    Price  75  cents. 

Herkimer  County  Cheese  and  Oransre  County  Butter  are  only  other  names  for  intelli- 
gent am  skillful  dairy  practice-which  may  be  obtained  by  any  Dairyman,  by  the  pern- 
nil  of  this  accurate  and  reliable  Manual. 

MILLER,  ORTOX  &  MULLIGAN,  Publisher, 

25  Park  Row,  NKW  YORK,  and  107  Genesee-st..  Auburn. 


AMERICAN  FRUIT  CULTURIST, 

WITH    DIRECTIONS   FOR 

THE  ORCHARD,  NURSERY,  AND  GARDEN, 

AND    DESCRIPTIONS  OF 

AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  VARIETIES. 

BY   J.  J.  THOMAS. 
One  Volume,  421  pp.  12mo.,  30O  Illustrations.    Price  1  25. 

OTHINGr  connected  with 

practical  agriculture  is  now  at- 
tracting more  attention  than  the 
cultivation  of  choice  varieties 
of  Fruit  Information  of  the 
best  kinds,  and  how  to  obtain 
and  successfully  to  cultivate 
them,  is  therefore  sought  by 
nearly  every  farm  or  lot  owner. 
Hence,  a  complete,  plain,  and 
entirely  reliable  Fruit  Book,  has 
become  a  necessity  to  nearly 
every  householder. 

The  author  of  TUE  AMERICAN  FRUIT  CUL- 
TURIST has  been  brought  up  in  the  Nursery 
business  from  boyhood,  his  father  being 
a  scientific  and  practical  Nurseryman,  and 
the  author  himself  having  had  nearly 
fifty  years  experience  as  a  practical  Hor- 
ticulturist, Nurseryman  and  Fruit  Grower. 
Hence,  his  book  is  not  a  mere  compilation 
of  old'ideas  in  a  new  dress,  but  is  the  re- 
sult of  a  life  experience  in  the  Nursery, 
the  Orchard,  and  the  Garden,  and  is, 
therefore  entirely  worthy  of  the  fullest 
confidence  of  the  public. 

The  book  undergoes  periodic  revisions, 
and  is,  therefore,  always  "  up  to  the  time." 

NOTICES   OF  THE   PRESS. 

Among  all  the  writers  on  fruits,  we  do  not  know  of  one  who  is  Mr  Thomas'  superior 
If  his  equal,  in  condensing  important  matter.  Hence,  we  always  look  into  his  writinn 
with  the  assurance  that  we  shall  find  something  new,  or  some  improvements  on  the  old , 
and  we  are  seldom  disappointed.  This  book  Is  no  exception.  It  is  fuM  There  is  no 
vacant  space  in  it  It  is  like  a  fresh  egg— all  good,  and  packed  to  the  shell,  full.— JTatne 

Tc^mcr,  but  equally  valnaWe  book  with  Downmg's,  was  wanted  by  the  great  mass. 
Just  such  a  work  his  Mr.  Thomas  given  us.  We  consider  it  an  invaluable  addition  to 
our  agricultural  libraries.—  Wool  (fi-cncer. 

We  can  say  with  confidence  to  our  readers,  that  if  you  need  a  book  to  instruct  you  in 
the  modes  of  growing  trees.  &c.,  from  the  first  start,  the  systems  of  pruning  etc  .you 
Will  find  the  American  Fruit  Culturist  an  extremely  valuable  work.— C  lew.  JleraM. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers. 


YOUATT  ON  THE  HORSE 


HIS  STRUCTURE  AND  DISEASES; 


WITH  THEIR    REMEDIES.     ALSO, 

PRACTICAL  RULES  TO  BUYERS,  BREEDERS,  BREAKERS,  SMITHS,  ETC. 

WITH   NOTES   BY   SPOONER,   AND   AN  ACCOUNT   OF   BREEDS   IN 

THE  UNITED  STATES,  BY  H.  S.  RANDALL. 
One  Volume,  483  pp.  12mo.,  GO  Illustrations.    Price  1  25. 


OPINIONS  OF  REVIEWERS 


English  edition,  Ihrlnplne  the 


»  ."»l>™»««««t  »n  the  English  edit  on.     Mr. 


rtof  t,P       rt.  i  .  »n      e     ngs    eit  on.     M 

wf  aasfa  »«?.«?  asssts  saujs- 


oatly  superior  to  that  of  for- 

Youatt;  anuthey  wm 


MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers, 

Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Genesee-st.,  AUBURN. 


YOUATT  &  MARTIN  ON  CATTLE, 


THEIR 


BREEDS,  MANAGEMENT  AND  DISEASES; 

A  COMPLETE  GUIDE  FOR  THE 

Farmer,  the  Amateur,  and  the  Veterinary  Surgeon. 

EDITED    BY   A.  STEVENS. 
One  Volume,  469  pp.  12mo.,  1OO  Illustrations.    Trice  1  25. 

thousands. 

MILLER,  ORTON  &  MULLIGAN,  Publisher* 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Geiiesoe-st,  AUBURN. 


YOUATT  ON  THE  HORSE, 


HIS  STRUCTURE  AND  DISEASES; 

WITH  THEIR    REMEDIES.     ALSO, 
PRACTICAL  RULES  TO  BUYERS,  BREEDERS,  BREAKERS,  SMITHS,  ETC. 

WITH   NOTES   BY   SPOONER,    AND   AN   ACCOUNT   OF   BREEDS   IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES,  BY  H.  S.  KANDALL. 

One  Volume,  483  pp.  12mo.,  6O  Illustrations.    Price  1  25. 


OPINIONS  OF  REVIEWERS. 

Any  one  at  all  conversant  with  that  noble  animal,  the  horse,  is  well  aware  of  the  mer- 
/ts  of  Yonatt's  admirable  work  on  this  subject.  Mr.  Spooner,  a  veterinary  surseon  of 
high  standing,  wrote  a  valuable  supplement  for  the  late  English  edition,  bringing  the 
science  down  to  1849.  This,  Mr.  I'andall,  with  excellent  judgment,  has  incorporated 
into  the  body  of  the  volume  before  us,  in  foot  notes,  under  the  different  appropriate 
heads  of  the  work.  We  think  this  quite  an  improvement  on  the  English  edition.  Mr. 
Kandall's  part  of  the  work  is  well  done;  and  as  the  publishers  have  brought  it  out  in 
handsome  style,  wo  trust  the  book  will  have  a  large  sale. — American  Agriculturist. 

The-  design  has  been  to  produce  an  edition  of  Youatt  fully  adapted  to  popular  use.  In 
this,  so  far  as  can  be  judged,  the  publishers  have  succeeded.  The  style  of  the  book,  so 
far  as  proper  typography  and  engravings  are  concerned,  is  greatly  superior  to  that  of  for- 
mer editions.  Those  who  keep  horses  will  do  well  to  procure  Youatt;  and  they  will 
harjly  do  better  than  with  this  edition. — Prairie  Farmer. 

MILLER,  ORTOX  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers, 

95  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Genesee-6t.,  AUBURN. 


YOUATT  &  MARTIN  ON  CATTLE, 


BREEDS,  MANAGEMENT  AND  DISEASES; 

A  COMPLETE  GUIDE  FOR  THE 

Farmer,  the  Amateur,  and  the  Veterinary  Surgeon. 

EDITED    BY   A.   STEVENS. 
One  Volume,  469  pp.  12mo.,  1OO  Illustrations.    Price  1  25. 


In  presenting  an  edition  of  Youatt  to  the  American  public,  the  Amer- 
ican editor  may  justly  say,  that,  of  all  the  treatises  on  cattle  none  ia 
BO  valuable  as  his.  Mr.  Youatt  is  a  man  of  rare  ability;  a  scholar,  dis- 
tinguished for  the  extent,  variety,  and  elegance  of  his  attainments,  and 
ns  a  veterinary  surgeon  of  profound  knowledge,  in  both  the  science 
and  practice  of  his  art,  and  for  devotion  to  its  pursuit.  In  preparing 
this  treatise  for  publication,  the  American  editor  has  abridged  it  of  the 
history  of  local  and  inferior  breeds  of  cattle-in  England,  in  which  the 
American  farmer  has  no  interest.  Every  page  has  been  carefully  con- 
sidered, and,  where  required,  its  matter  advanced  to  the  present  state 
of  knowledge  on  the  subject.  Thousands  of  copies  of  Youatt  and  Mar- 
tin are  annually  sold  in  England,  and  there  opinion  has  established  them 
as  standards  in  their  branch  of  knowledge.  This  American  edition  com- 
mends it-self  by  its  small  price  and  intrinsic  value,  and  should  sell  in 
thousands. 

MILLER,  onTON  &  MCLLIGAN, 

25  Park  Row,  NEW  YORK,  and  107  Geuesce-st,  AUBURN. 


LIVES  OF  HENRY  Vm.  AND  HIS  SIX  WIVES, 

By  11.  W.  HERBERT,  7  portraits,  441  pp.  12mo.,           .            .            .            .  f  1  24 

LIFE  OF  HENRY  CLAY, 

By  HORACE  GREELEY  and  EPES  SARGEANT,  steel  portrait,  428  pp.  12mo.,  .  1  25 
LIFE  AND  SPEECHES  OF  HENRY  CLAY,  being  the  above,  to  which  is  added 

liis  most  able  and  popular  Speeches,  steel  portrait,  633  pp.  8vo.,         .            .  2  00 
WEBSTER  AND  HIS  MASTEE-PIECES, 

By  B.  F.  TEKFT,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  steel  portrait,  2  vols.,  1032  pp.  12mo.,  .            .  2  60 
LIFE  OF  GEO.  WASHINGTON,  by  JAKBD  SPARKS,  LL.  !>.,  new  and  fine  edi- 
tion, steel  portrait,  674  pp.  12mo.,      .            .            .            .            .            .  1  25 

LIFE  OF  WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD,  with  Selections  from  his  Works,  edited 

by  GEO.  E.  BAKKK,  steel  portrait,  410  pp.  12mo.,            .            .            .            .  1  00 

LIFE  OF  JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  by  W.  II.  SEWARD,  portrait,  404  pp.  12mo,  1  00 
LIFE  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON,  by  J.  S.  JENKINS,  illustrated,  397  pp.  12mo.,  1  CO 
LIFE  OF  WM.  H.  HARRISON,  by  II.  MONTGOMERY,  portrait,  465  pp.  12mo.,  1  00 
LIFE  OF  ZACHARY  TAYLOR,  by  H.  MONTGOMERY,  illustrated,  463  pp.  8vo.,  1  25 
LIFE  OF  FRANKLIN  FIERCE,  by  D.  W.  BARTLETT,  portrait,  304  pp.  12mo.,  75 
LIFE  OF  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN,  written  by  himself;  with  his  Miscellane- 
ous Essays,  portrait  87ft  pp.  12mo.,     .            .            .            .            .  1  25 

LIFE  OF  GEN.  LAFAYETTE,  by  P.  C.  HEADLET,  portrait,  377  pp.  12mo.,  1  25 
LIFE  OF  LOUIS  KOSSUTH,  including  Notices  of  the  Men  and  Scenes  of  the 
Hungarian  Revolution,  and  his  Principal  Speeches,  by  P.  C.  HEADLET;  with 

an  Introduction  by  HORACE  GREELEY;  portrait,  461  pp.  12mo.        .  1  25 
LIFE  OF  DANIEL  BOONE,  and  the  Hunters  of  Kentucky,  by  W.  H.  BOGAHT, 

illustrated.  464  pp.  12mo.,         .             .,       .     ,  .          .             .             .  1  25 

LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE,  LOCKHART,  portrait,  392  pp.  12mo.,  1  25 

LIFE  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE,  P.  C.  II EADLEY,  portrait,  3S3  pp.,  1  25 

LIFE  OF  MARY,  QUEEN  OF  SOOTS,  P.  C.  HEADLEY,  portrait,  448  pp.,  1  25 

LIFE  OF  REV.  A.  JUDSON,  by  J.  CLEMENT,  portrait,  336  pp.  12mo.,           .  1  00 
LIVES  OF  THE  THREE  MRS.  JUDSONS,  MRS.  WILLSON,  2  portraits,  356  pp.,  l  25 
LIVES  OF  MARY  AND  MARTHA  WASHINGTON,  Mother  and  Wife  of 

George  Washington,  by  MAKGAKET  C.  COSKLIXG,  portrait,  24S  pp.  16mo.,  75 

LIFE  OF  LADY  JANE  GREY,  by  D.  W.  BARTLETT,  portrait,  298  pp.  12mo.  75 

LIFE  OF  JOAN  OF  ARC,  by  D.  W.  BAETLETT,  portrait,  221  pp.  16mo.,        .  75 
LIVES  OF  EMINENT  METHODIST  MINISTERS,  containing  Biographical 
Sketches.  Incidents,  Anecdotes,  Records  of  Travel,  &.C.,  by  Rev.  P.  DOUGLASS 

GORICIK,  portraits,  408  pp.  12mo.,        .            .            .            .            .  1  00 

LIFE  OF  PATRICK  HENRY,  by  8.  G.  ARNOLD,  270  pp.  16mo.,              .  .    50 

LIFE  OF  JOSEPH  ADDISON,  by  LCOY  AIKEN,  279  pp.,  12tno.,       .           .  60 

53F"  For  sale  by  all  Booksellers,  or  Single  Copies  sent  by  Mail,  post 
paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

MILLER,  ORTCN  &  MULLIGAN,  Publishers, 

No.  25  Park  Row,  KEW  YORK,  aii'I  107  Genesee-st..  AUBUK.N 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


T HE  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES  OF  THE  GREAT 


